IPL 2022: Aakash Chopra on Kuldeep Yadav not getting to bowl 4 overs in DC-KKR match

Aakash Chopra has expressed surprise at Kuldeep Yadav not getting to bowl his full quota of four overs in last night's IPL 2022 encounter between the Delhi Capitals (DC) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Yadav registered figures of 4/14 in just three overs as the Capitals restricted KKR to a score of 146/9. Rishabh Pant's side went on to win the match by four wickets with an over to spare.

While naming Kuldeep Yadav as his Player of the Match in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra questioned Pant's decision to give him just three overs, saying:

"We saw Kuldeep shining. My Player of the Match has to be Kuldeep Yadav. He took four wickets while conceding just 14 runs and bowled only three overs. You are thinking why only three, did he get injured - no. I have no idea, why? It was beyond my understanding."

The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that Yadav dismissed some of the biggest threats in the KKR batting lineup and was on a roll. Chopra observed:

"If you take four wickets in three overs - which includes the wickets of Shreyas Iyer, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine - what more do you need? You are taking wickets as if it is not a difficult thing at all."

Chopra also pointed out that Yadav achieved a unique distinction against KKR. He elaborated:

"It has happened for the first time that any bowler has taken eight wickets against Kolkata in one season - four in the last match and four in this match, and the captain didn't give him the fourth over. I am at a loss of words about why this happened."

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Kuldeep Yadav returned figures of 4/35 in the Delhi Capitals' reverse fixture against the Kolkata Knight Riders. The left-arm wrist-spinner bamboozled the same side that had benched him for the majority of the last couple of seasons of the IPL.

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"He has dismissed a lot of left-handers" - Aakash Chopra on Kuldeep Yadav being shielded from Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh

Kuldeep Yadav was awarded the Player of the Match [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra highlighted that the presence of two left-handers at the crease was not a valid reason to keep Yadav away from the attack. He explained:

"Agree there were two lefties - Nitish Rana was batting with Rinku - but Sunil Narine is also a left-hander and he dismissed him. He has dismissed a lot of left-handers, his ball in any case turns and goes away."

However, the 44-year-old concluded by acknowledging that Pant has used Yadav exceedingly well in IPL 2022 and that the latter has also risen to the occasion. Chopra stated:

"He (Kuldeep) has been utilized extremely well till now, he has bowled amazingly well till now as well. He is trapping the batters with turn, he is not getting scared of flighting the ball, his speed has increased a little and because of that, he has been absolutely outstanding."

Kuldeep Yadav, who has picked up 17 wickets in IPL 2022 thus far, is currently placed second in the IPL Purple Cap 2022 race. He is only behind fellow wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who has one more wicket to his name.