NEW DELHI: The numbers may have moved in his favour, but Kuldeep Yadav would have preferred a different story — one in which he and Yuzvendra Chahal continued to hunt wickets together, building on a partnership that became one of India’s most recognisable spin combinations.In a nostalgic interaction with his former spin partner ahead of the second T20I against West Indies in Ranchi on Friday, Kuldeep opened up about moving past Chahal in India’s T20I wicket tally, admitting that the milestone did not bring him unqualified happiness.“I’m not particularly happy about it. I would have preferred it if we were playing together, because we could have broken many more records together,” Kuldeep told Chahal during a JioStar interaction. Kuldeep now has 97 wickets from 56 T20Is, one more than Chahal’s 96 from 80 matches.The left-arm wrist-spinner also spoke warmly about the bond they shared on the field, with the duo popularly known as ‘KulCha’. Chahal, who announced his retirement from red-ball cricket earlier this month, is part of the broadcaster’s team for the ongoing series.“But it also feels good to watch you from the other end now. Whenever you’re around, there’s always a great atmosphere while playing, and I also get to learn a lot about bowling from you. I’ll always be grateful for that,” Kuldeep said.
‘KulCha’ bond remains special
The partnership between Kuldeep and Chahal flourished across formats, with the two wrist-spinners regularly troubling opposition batters through their contrasting styles and ability to attack in tandem. Their success made ‘KulCha’ a familiar name among Indian cricket fans.While Kuldeep continues to feature in India’s white-ball plans, Chahal’s presence on the other side of the microphone offered an opportunity to revisit their partnership and the records they might have achieved together.Kuldeep also reflected on his return to T20 cricket after a lengthy break, acknowledging that adapting from the longer white-ball format required adjustments to his bowling rhythm and lengths.“When I last played a T20 match, my rhythm was more like that of ODI cricket. In ODIs, you always have more time to spin the ball and more opportunities to do so,” he explained.“So, if you look at my first two overs, I was bowling with a little more loop because I hadn’t played T20 cricket for quite some time. But that’s no excuse. When you switch formats, you have to plan accordingly.”Kuldeep felt his control improved as the innings progressed. “I think I showed better control in my last two overs and pushed my lengths back a little. Those are the small adjustments you have to make. I’m sure I’ll keep making them going forward.”
Kuldeep’s plan against West Indies power-hitters
With West Indies boasting several powerful hitters, Kuldeep said his approach remained centred on controlling the length and denying batters the freedom to swing.“We’ve played a lot of matches together, and our discussions have always revolved around one thing: hitting the right length and not giving the batters a chance to free their arms,” he said.“That’s what I try to do — stick to my length, keep the ball in the right areas, and not give them room to swing freely.”He added that even a marginal error could prove costly against the West Indies batters. “They generate so much power with their bat speed that even a slightly overpitched delivery can disappear over the boundary.”Kuldeep also responded playfully when Chahal asked whether he would celebrate his 100th wicket with a pose inspired by his former partner.“Absolutely, I’ll do my best to pose like you if I get those wickets!” he replied, before stressing that team success remained his priority.“Reaching a milestone is definitely important, but I’m not focusing too much on it. I just want the match to go well for our team and to bowl well. That’s more important.”
