Siddarth Kaul is an Indian cricketer who plays for the Punjab team in the Indian domestic circuit. Born on 19 May 1990 in Pathankot, Punjab, India, Kaul is a right-arm medium pace bowler.
Kaul began playing cricket at the age of 6 under the influence of his father Tej Kaul who played first-class cricket. Siddarth Kaul made his first-class debut for Punjab in the 2007-08 Ranji season. He bowled superbly and took five wickets while conceding 97 runs against Orissa. Kaul has made appearances for the Punjab team at Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 levels. He was named in the India Under-19 squad for the 2008 Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia. He played a pivotal role in India’s triumph, taking 10 wickets at an average of 15.40. He was India’s joint highest wicket-taker in the tournament.
In the 2012-13 season of Ranji-Trophy, he was the second highest wicket-taker of the tournament. While playing against Uttar Pradesh in Ranji Trophy 2016-17, Kaul trashed the opponents with his remarkable 6-wicket haul, which made Uttar Pradesh see their clan dipping completely for just 95.
Kaul has a good first-class record as he has taken 232 wickets in 63 matches with 15 five-wicket hauls. His numbers in List A matches are phenomenal. He has 155 wickets to his name in just 90 matches with 6 fifers and a bowling average of 24.59. In T20s, Kaul has taken 114 wickets in 104 matches with best bowling figures of 4/14. He has represented North Zone, India A, India B, Rest of India, India Blue, India Red and India Green team across different domestic competitions in India. Kaul is yet to make his International debut. He was named in India’s squad for their series against Sri Lanka in November 2017 but didn’t got an opportunity in the playing eleven.
Kaul was drafted by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League. He didn’t get an opportunity to play. He made his IPL debut playing for Delhi Daredevils in the 2013 season. He didn't perform well as he took just six wickets in 11 matches across two seasons. The 2017 IPL season was his breakthrough season as his impressive performances earned him a place in the Indian squad for the series against Sri Lanka on November 2017. He was bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad and he delivered for them as he took 16 wickets in 10 games. He was again bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 IPL auctions. Largely overshadowed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the previous year, the Punjab speedster finally came into his own in IPL 2018 and earned the tag as a death-bowling specialist. He developed a new skill to his arsenal - the knuckle ball - which proved to be his potent weapon, of course combined with his razor sharp yorkers.
Siddarth Kaul made his ODI debut against England on 12 July 2018 where he bowled 10 overs and conceded 62 runs without taking a single wicket. He has so far played only 3 ODIs in his career but a good season can catapult him back to the national side reckoning.
Kaul made his T20 debut against Ireland on 29 June 2018 in Malahide where he bowled two overs and took his maiden wicket of James Shannon. He was also picked for the series when the Aussies came to the Indian shores. He played one match during the series and picked a solitary wicket.
His father, Tej Kaul, played Ranji Trophy for Jammu and Kashmir, and had worked with the Indian team as a trainer and physiotherapist in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His elder brother Uday was an India U-19 player, who toured with an India U-19s to England in 2006. Being raised in a cricketing atmosphere, he has always been passionate about cricket and started playing cricket at the age of 6 under the guidance of his father and brother.
