3 changes Kuldeep Yadav has made to return to wicket-taking ways 

Team India spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been one of the most improved players in recent times. He is slowly turning into a certifiable match-winner for India, especially in ODIs. Dethroning senior candidate Yuzvendra Chahal as the team's lead spinner, he doesn't intend to lose his spot now, considering the hard work and patience that he has shown to get it in the first place.

In a year where subcontinent bowling takes precedence over almost everything else, Kuldeep, being a left-arm wrist spinner has taken the opportunity with both hands. He claimed wickets in all of Team India's home season ODIs barring one.

He continued his form into the Caribbean tour and it is evident in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 as well. The spinner took the second five-wicket haul of his career against Pakistan and followed it up with a four-fer against Sri Lanka.

In his own words, he has shed light on the 'technical adjustments' he has made to his bowling, which has led to his purple patch. Kuldeep said during the post-match press conference:

"I have been playing regularly for the past one and half years after my knee surgery. My run-up has gone a bit straight. There is more aggression in my bowling rhythm, the approach to the crease is good, and perhaps earlier my bowling hand used to fall a lot, it's under control now and it is now facing more towards the batsman."

On that note, let us take a look at three specific areas Kuldeep has worked on to return to wicket-taking ways.

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1. Kuldeep Yadav has a straighter run-up

One of the major changes that Kuldeep Yadav has made, and one which he attributed to as well, is the change to his run-up. He used to come in from a much steeper angle, with the starting point being much wider of the pitch and the umpire.

However, his revamped run-up, which is now quite straight when compared to the old one, has reduced the load on his body. It also allows his non-bowling arm to come fully in motion and he appears much more balanced while delivering the ball as well.

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2. Wrist position

Naturally being a wrist spinner, all of Kuldeep Yadav's ability to turn the delivery comes from the wrist. Not that there was any particular issue with it beforehand, because he has always been a prolific turner of the ball.

However, bowling is an art that can always be improved and that is exactly what Kuldeep has done. Here is what renowned spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan had to say on the subject during an interview with the Indian Express earlier this year:

"Not many have realised, his wrist position has also changed from what I see. It is absolutely perfect now. Earlier, when he bowled to a right-hander, the back of the palm was facing mid-wicket. Now it is facing upwards, which is the perfect position to spin the ball with your ring finger."

His improved wrist position arguably also makes the batter hard to read his variations, which is one of his strengths. Having the ability to turn the ball both ways, with a cunning googly up his sleeve, makes him a difficult bowler to face on spin-friendly conditions.

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3. Better pace variation

Kuldeep Yadav's go-to approach earlier was to flight the delivery and rely on the pitch to do the rest of the work. However, he has evolved to be a much cleverer bowler now, using the variations in pace to his advantage.

His revamped model has also improved his bowling arm speed, and with the ability to bowl with flight that he already possesses, he can play with the batters' mind. All in all, he can bowl anywhere from the late 70 kmph to the late 80 kmph or even the early 90 kmph mark, if the conditions and the situation dictates it.

Batters had often capitalized on his lack of pace at times and comfortably took him on, particularly in conditions where there was not much on offer. However, with the pace factor with him now, the batters would find it a bit hard to take him on, when compared to before even on favorable conditions.

The spinner himself claimed that improving his speed was one of his priorities after missing the second half of IPL 2021 due to a serious knee injury. He said:

"After the injury (in the knee) layoff of four months, I realized that I need to bowl quicker and began working on it. After surgery, I have changed that rhythm, bowling with more effort and more control,” Kuldeep said after picking a hat-trick in a List-A game against New Zealand A in September 2022.

Will Kuldeep Yadav spin India towards the elusive Asia Cup-World Cup double in the coming months? Let us know what you think.