Kuldeep Yadav not bothered about England's ‘Bazball', ready to take up challenge: ‘One has to be alert'
India's 'Chinaman' spinner Kuldeep Yadav remains pressure free despite the evolving expectations about the impact he can create during the five anticipated Tests in England. Kuldeep, who holds a fair share of experience playing against the Three Lions, is looking to instil what he has learned on the field if he gets a chance to put his craft on show.
Kuldeep is set to return to the Test format for India for the first time since the home series against New Zealand last October. He missed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to injury but found his groove in the recently concluded Indian Premier League while featuring for Delhi Capitals.
Fans and former cricketers have termed the left-arm wrist spinner's inclusion an 'X factor'. Such a tag often culminates in pressure, but that is not the case for Kuldeep, who is aware of England's style of play.
"No, I do not feel any pressure as I feel it is not something that one should take pressure for. I think if one gets a good opportunity and gives their best, then it is a done job there. I have played against England last year, and have an idea about their playing style. The only thing is that one has to be very alert all the time and stay focused," Kuldeep said while speaking to Boria Majumdar on Revsportz.
Kuldeep mapped out England's aggressive approach, which doesn't allow a bowler to be defensive. During England's tour of India last year, Kuldeep left the touring party bamboozled and scalped 19 wickets at 20.16.
"Unlike other teams, with the England team, one cannot relax and play defensive. England bat in a very aggressive manner, so one has to very much be in the game and plan your overs accordingly. I learnt a lot about fielding playing that England series, so I hope to apply those learnings this time in England. And most importantly, enjoy my bowling, as that is what gets you wickets," he said.
He made his sole appearance in England at the iconic Lord's and went wicketless in his nine-over spell as India succumbed to a heavy defeat by an innings and 159 runs. Since then, Kuldeep has upped his game to a new level and unlocked one aspect that could be the key behind adding names to his wicket-taking column.
"When I played in 2018 [at Lord's] with the Dukes, I personally experienced that Dukes are a bit hard and drift more. So, as a spinner, if one can control that, then it can be challenging for the batsmen. Because it is hard, it bounces more, and the spin is very sharp if one gets a spin-friendly track," he said.
"It's a bit like the SG ball, and the seam is protruding. Kookaburra, on the other hand, is very different and gives spinners a very good grip due to its rounded nature. I like it personally. But overall, it takes adjustment and time spent with the ball to get used to it," he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
20 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Sourav Ganguly says Rishabh Pant let him down but gives India keeper a chance to prove himself: 'Didn't like what I saw'
Rishabh Pant is one of the very few experienced players travelling with the Indian squad for the five-Test series in England. In fact, Pant, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja are the only four players from the squad of 18 to have played a Test series in England before. Hence, in the absence of veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom have announced their retirements from Test cricket, expectations are high from India's dashing wicketkeeper batter. Especially given the fact that he struggled the last time India played Tests – in Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In Australia, Pant played all five Tests, but his returns were poor, with 255 runs at an average of 28.33, starring just one half-century. Pant's efforts proved even more disappointing because it was against the same team in the same conditions four years ago, where he played a hand in India's most famous Test win away from home, beating Australia 2-1 with epic knocks in Sydney and Brisbane. Among the many disappointed with Pant was former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who pointed out what the India keeper did wrong Down Under. However, the England tour marks a fresh start, and Ganguly expects Pant to make amends. "He's a very good player, but he has to continue playing the way he played a few years ago. I saw him in Australia, and I didn't like what I saw. Too many shots. He kept swinging. The ball decked around at certain venues. He has got the ability, there is no doubt about that, but it's about the application. I want to see some more fight from him. He's got a very good defence. So, he has to defend and now swing at every ball," Ganguly told RevSportz. Also Read: Sourav Ganguly fires shots at Agarkar, BCCI for dropping Shreyas Iyer from India squad, says 'not a player to be left out' It was in England seven years ago that Pant made a sparkling Test debut for India, launching just the second ball he faced into the stands for a six. Two matches later, at the Oval, Pant peeled off his maiden Test century, and although it couldn't help India avoid a 1-4 drubbing, Rishabh Pant had arrived. Even in the four-match series in 2021/22, Pant couldn't do much, scoring just one fifty from eight innings. A lot of hopes will be pinned on Pant. This is believed to be one of the weakest Indian teams touring England, which automatically trims their chances of winning. Then again, the hosts are undergoing a transition of their own. The bowling attack, in particular, is filled with youngsters, barring the returning Chris Woakes. Do India have a realistic chance of pulling off what no Indian team has done since 2007? Ganguly, who was part of that squad 18 years ago, certainly believes so, but for that, a couple of things need to fall into place. "Yes, sure. We just need two things, batting well and [Jasprit] Bumrah remaining fit. We won in Australia, in Melbourne (2020-21), with a young batting line-up, having no [Virat] Kohli, no Rohit Sharma. So, I do not see why we cannot win," said the former BCCI chief.
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Brands pile in, ads get shorter: IPL 18 rewrites the rules of cricket-time marketing: Report
The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League was a season of more—more advertisers, more categories, and ad clutter—but not necessarily more airtime. Despite only a modest 0.5% rise in average ad volume per match as compared with last year, the number of advertisers increased by 30% and the brand count by 29% in the latest season of the popular cricket tournament, according to new research from TAM Sports. That meant a tighter squeeze for visibility, and a sharp shift in strategy of companies to cope with ad rates. The most preferred ad format this year, as a result, was less than 10 seconds—overtaking previous year's 11-20 second spots—as brands opted for quicker, high-frequency messaging to stay in the game. This makes sense considering that as per media reports, IPL 2025 was expected to pull in an estimated ₹ 4,500 crore in advertising revenue, with brands paying between ₹ 25 lakh and ₹ 28 lakh for a 10-second TV ad slot. On digital platforms, CPMs (cost per mille, or cost per 1,000 impressions) ranged from ₹ 250-500, depending on a match's viewership draw. For the current season, digital ad rates on average reportedly grew by 30-40%, reaching ₹ 400 CPM, while TV spot prices softened. On JioCinema (now JioHotstar) last year, pre- and post-match slots were priced at ₹ 200 per 1,000 views, and a single spot on connected TVs cost ₹ 6.5 lakh. According to TAM Sports' IPL 18 advertising report, which took into account all 74 matches, despite new brands on display, the top of the advertising pile looked exactly like the year before. Surrogate ads for pan masala brands still ruled the screen, with mouth fresheners remaining the single-largest ad category for a second successive year. Vimal Elaichi, promoted by Vishnu Packaging, topped the charts once again, followed by Kamla Pasand from KP Pan Foods, and Dream11, owned by Sporta Technologies Pvt. Ltd, show the data from TAM Sports, a division of TAM Media Research. But the dominance of the top five advertisers this year—Parle Biscuits, Vishnu Packaging, Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (Campa Cola), KP Pan Foods, and Sporta Technologies—reduced slightly, as they accounted for just 27% of total ad volume, down from 33% last season. The top five brands also saw their IPL ad share drop from 32% to 22%, reflecting how crowded and fragmented the ad space has become. With more than 186 brands active across national and regional sports channels, commercial breaks in India's highest watched private cricketing tournament are no longer dominated by these familiar names. That IPL ad fragmentation was also driven by a reshuffling of sectors and categories. IPL 18 introduced over 25 new advertiser categories, while 25 others from IPL 17 dropped out. Real estate, mobile services, fashion retail, and jewellery emerged as the top new entrants—with a focus on premium consumer sectors which were previously less visible during live sports. Meanwhile, big segments like personal care, consumer durables, and multi-product food brands saw their share decline or vanish from the top five altogether. Food and beverages retained their lead, accounting for 36% of total ad volume this year, up slightly from 34% last year. Services remained unchanged at 23%, while the auto sector climbed into the top three with 9% share. The banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector and personal care moved further down the pecking order. The top five categories this year—mouth fresheners, biscuits, ecommerce-gaming, soft drinks, and financial services—collectively contributed 40% of ad volumes, slightly down from 43% last year, the report said. Despite the increased brand participation, the overall indexed ad volume grew just 10.5%—a sign that IPL has reached near-saturation in available inventory, pushing advertisers to innovate within constraints. The dominance of short-duration formats this year, reversing last year's trend, is one such adjustment, helping marketers balance frequency, cost, and recall.
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Why Sourav Ganguly ‘didn't like' Rishabh Pant in Australia during BGT? How can Indian vice-captain improve in England?
Rishabh Pant was heavily criticised for his choice of shots against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. In nine innings, Pant managed just 255 runs with the best of 61 in the fifth and final Test in Sydney. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly didn't hesitate in admitting that he 'didn't like' the wicketkeeper's show in Australia as the latter 'kept swinging' his bat too often. A few months later, another challenge awaits Pant in England as India prepare for a gruelling five-match Test series, starting on June 20 at Headingly. 'He's a very good player, but he has to continue playing the way he played a few years ago,' Ganguly told Revsportz. 'I saw him in Australia, and I didn't like what I saw. Too many shots. He kept swinging. The ball decked around at certain venues,' added Ganguly, who had worked with Pant closely at Delhi Capitals last year. With the England pitches known for its movement and bounce, Ganguly advised Pant to grind in the middle and not swing against every single delivery. Calling Pant a natural stroke-maker, Ganguly urged the southpaw to adapt to the situation and prolong his innings. 'He has got the ability, there is no doubt about that, but it's about the application. I want to see some more fight from him. He's got a very good defence. So, he has to defend,' added Ganguly. Notably, Pant is coming after a morale-boosting hundred in the Indian Premier League following his below-par show throughout the entire season with Lucknow Super Giants. In England, Pant has played nine matches, scoring 556 runs at an average of 32.70 with two centuries. While eight of his matches came against England, Pant's other Test came against New Zealand in the inaugural World Test Championship final in 2021. Both his hundreds on English soil came against England.
