Kuldeep Yadav faces race towards time to search out rhythm in Champions Trophy after return from damage

The India Cricket Team began their journey in the ICC Champions Trophy with a dominant win over Bangladesh. But there remains a prime concern for the Men in Blue. Ace spinner Kuldeep Yadav failed to perform. Though he was economical, giving away 43 runs in his 10-over spell, the leggie failed to bag a single wicket.

This is concerning given the Champions Trophy is a small tournament unlike the ODI World Cup, and just 2 group stage matches are remaining. It is worth noticing that Mohammed Shami roared back into form as he bagged a fifer. But there is a catch. Shami too after his mega injury took time to adjust before finding his rhythm.

Time running out for Kuldeep Yadav

Shami took his time playing in the IND vs ENG T20I and ODI series before lighting up Dubai. But Kuldeep Yadav doesn’t have the fortune of playing too many games. His return to cricket after his injury has been rather quiet. He played in the Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh.

In that game, he bagged 3 wickets but leaked 124 runs in the process. In the Nagpur ODI against England, he gave away 53 runs with 1 scalp. At Ahmedabad, he managed to bag a wicket by giving away 38 runs. His return has been smooth but definitely not strong.

Kuldeep Yadav’s performance since his return from Injury

At Ahmedabad, he was picked as the specialist spinner in the team over Varun Chakravarthy. Ravindra Jadeja too was economical but failed to get a single breakthrough. While the pacers bagged 8 wickets, Axar managed the other 2 scalps. In fact, the leggie was on the verge of taking a hattrick had it not been for the unfortunate catch drop by Rohit Sharma.

Kuldeep Yadav needs to pick up his rhythm soon as the very next game is the much-anticipated clash against arch-rivals Pakistan. Hopes will be high on the ace spinner to weave his magic in Dubai as the Men in Blue go toe-to-toe with the Men in Green.