Kuldeep Yadav: Biography, Career, & Achievements

Cricketer Kuldeep Yadav represents India internationally; he was born on December 14, 1994. He is a left-arm bowling all-rounder. Unusual spinner, who also plays for India and Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket, and is a competent lower-order hitter. The Delhi Capitals acquired him for the Indian Premier League. He participated in the 2014 Under-19 Cricket World Cup and has represented India’s Under-19 cricket squad. He accomplished a first for India by recording two hat-tricks against the West Indies on December 18, 2019. In his 58th ODI innings on January 17, 2020, against Australia, Yadav became the quickest spin bowler for India to reach 100 ODI wickets in terms of innings.

Early Days

• From a young age, Kuldeep had wanted to play professional cricket. But he didn’t start playing till he was 11 years old.
• Yadav would bowl when he slept because he was so enamored with the sport.
• He once said he would commit suicide if he did not have a chance to play cricket. At the moment, Yadav was 13 years old.
• Ram, his father, owned a brick kiln company. He introduced cricket instructor Kapil Pandey to Kuldeep and urged him to keep playing the sport.
• He admires cricketer Zaheer Khan and is a major fan of Wasim Akram.
• Kuldeep originally intended to become a left-arm seamer. However, after observing his natural talent to turn and twist the ball, his coach insisted that he develop into a wrist-spin bowler.
• Kuldeep honed his technique by watching Shane Warne, an Australian cricketer, bowl.
• Kuldeep had previously been rejected by the Uttar Pradesh under-15 squad, which had caused him to experience some sadness.
• He was a part of the “Mumbai Indians” in 2012, however, he was unable to participate in a single match.
• He won a hat-trick in the U-19 World Cup in 2014, becoming the first cricketer from India to do so.
• The Kolkata Knight Riders purchased him for an amazing INR 5.8 crore during the 2018 IPL auction.
• He is only the third bowler in ODI history to take a hat-trick. He succeeded in doing so in September 2017.
• Cricketer Moeen Ali hit three sixes and two fours in his final over in the 2019 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore, leaving Kuldeep in tears.
• He spends 2 to 3 hours per day honing his bowling skills.
• He is the first bowler the Indian national team has had in 82 years, and his technique is known as “Chinaman bowling.”

 Career

• Yadav also disclosed that, earlier in his life, after being passed over for the Uttar Pradesh under-15 squad, he contemplated quitting cricket and taking his own life.
• Yadav participated in the 2012 Champions League Twenty20 as a member of the Mumbai Indians team before being acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014.
• Yadav was repurchased by KKR at the 2018 IPL auction in January 2018. He was acquired by the Delhi Capitals in the 2022 season auction four years later. Yadav received this honor four times, which was the most of any player that season.

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Domestic Career

Kuldeep Yadav began his domestic career in 2009 by representing Uttar Pradesh in various formats, such as First-Class, List A, and T20s. He was one of the key spin bowlers in the UP team with match-winning spin bowling.

Kuldeep’s breakthrough came when he was selected for the India U-19 team and delivered strong performances in the 2014 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. He took the hat-trick wickets in that tournament and became the first Indian to do that achievement in the tournament’s history.

His consistent performance in domestic and age-group cricket laid the foundation for selection in the India A team and the national team. In first-class cricket, Kuldeep has taken over 160 wickets in 43 matches with an average of 29.36, including 8 five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket match performance.

International Career

Kuldeep Yadav made his international debut on 25 March 2017 by playing a Test against Australia at Dharamshala. He was the first left-arm wrist spinner to represent India in Test cricket. In his debut innings only he got 4 wickets. Kuldeep has taken 4 five-wicket hauls in Test matches. Kuldeep has represented India in 13 Test matches and has taken 56 wickets with a bowling average of around 22.16 in Tests.

On 23 June 2017, Kuldeep made his ODI debut against the West Indies, but he did not bowl in his debut match due to rain and took wickets in subsequent matches. He played a vital role in India’s 2018 Asia Cup win as the highest wicket-taker for India with 10 wickets. Kuldeep made a valuable contribution to India in the 2023 Asia Cup and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. He has represented India in 113 ODI matches and has taken 181 wickets with a bowling average of 26.44.

Kuldeep made his T20I debut on 9 July 2017 against the West Indies. He was the first left-arm wrist spinner to take a five-wicket haul in T20Is. He was known for his economical bowling and wicket-taking ability in the T20 format. Kuldeep has represented India in 40 T20I matches and taken 68 wickets.

Indian Premier League (IPL)

• Yadav signed a deal with the Mumbai Indians for the Indian Premier League in 2012, but despite making headlines for defeating Sachin Tendulkar with a googly in the nets, he didn’t make the playing XI in his first season. Two years later, he was moved to the Kolkata Knight Riders; however, he was unable to participate in any matches.
• Kuldeep was given his due by the KKR team in the 2016 IPL, and he didn’t let them down. Six wickets were taken by the left-arm slow bowler in three games. But Brad Hogg’s presence reduced his prospects. After being retained for 40 lakhs prior to the 2017 IPL, KKR made the decision to increase their investment in their lethal weapon. In addition, Kuldeep excelled, taking 12 wickets in 12 games. He made significant progress in 2018, both in the IPL and on the international stage. In the same season’s IPL game, he received his first Man of the Match award. Kuldeep bowled a bewildering spell of 4 for 20 against RR to help KKR secure a good victory.
• But the IPL discussed his decline in performance at the international level. He only had 4 wickets to his name from 9 games in the 2019 season, with an economy rate of 8.66, and his performance in the 2020 season was by far his poorest. Kuldeep was withdrawn from KKR’s starting XI after taking only 1 wicket in 4 games due to his inability to contribute. Due to a knee injury, he missed the rest of the 2021 season and was benched for the first half. But after being signed by the Delhi Capitals in 2022, he roared back to form. After a few years of relative obscurity, his success in this IPL—21 wickets in just 14 games—put him back on the radar. For the 2023 edition of the competition, the Capitals kept him on staff.

Net Worth

The Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav is expected to have a net worth of $4 million (INR 29 crore) in 2022. His match payments from representing India in matches, his IPL deal, brand sponsorships, and his BCCI contract have all contributed to his income. Kuldeep’s net worth is boosted by his endorsements of a few well-known companies, like Unacademy, Oppo, and Adidas. He contributes significantly to the Indian cricket team and the companies he represents.

Batting Career Summary

Bowling Career Summary

Awards and Recognition

• The first Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in the U-19 World Cup.
• Indian cricket’s first-ever international chinaman bowler.
• Taken 4 wickets were taken in his first Test game.
• Taken five wickets in his first ODI game.
• Became the Indian bowler with 50 ODI wickets most quickly.
• Five times in Test cricket, took four wickets in an innings.
• 10 times in Test cricket, he took three or more wickets in an innings.
• Took three or more wickets in each of his 17 ODI innings.
• Four times in ODI cricket, took four wickets in an innings.
• The third-highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is at the moment.