Daren Ganga criticizes DC for underutilizing Kuldeep Yadav against KKR
What's the story
Former West Indies cricketer Daren Ganga criticized Delhi Capitals (DC) for not using their key wrist spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, during the first innings of their IPL 2025 loss to Kolkata Knight Riders. Despite Kuldeep conceding 27 runs in three overs without taking a wicket, Ganga felt he should have bowled his full quota of overs. He believes that Kuldeep could have been a potential match-winning wicket-taker for the team. Here's more.
Words
Ganga slams DC for underutilising Kuldeep
As mentioned, the former cricketer was unhappy with DC not bowling Kuldeep for all four of his overs. "Kuldeep not finishing his spell to me was a bit of a missed opportunity. When you have a bowler like Kuldeep, regardless of the day he's having, I'd like to see him exhaust his full complement of overs, he stated while speaking on ESPNcricinfo's Time Out show.
Spin strategy
Ganga advocates for use of wrist spinners in powerplay
Ganga further spoke about teams' unwillingness to employ traditional wrist spinners in the powerplay phase. "To me, if you're trying to control a phase by taking wickets, that's an option for you," he stated, highlighting the importance of a good over. "That is something he [Axar] could've looked at - bowling Kuldeep's one over earlier on and then bowling three overs in the middle. That could've changed proceedings," he further stated, talking about an alternate strategy for DC.
Match recap
KKR beat DC to stay alive in playoff race
Batting first, KKR posted 204/9 in 20 overs, with Angrish Raghuvanshi scoring 44 off 32 balls. Solid contributions throughout the innings helped KKR set a challenging total. Mitchell Starc was the standout bowler for DC, taking 3/43. Chasing 205, DC struggled early, losing quick wickets to be 60/3 in the seventh over. Faf du Plessis anchored with 62, and Axar Patel's quickfire 43 wasn't enough as Narine (3/29) combined with Varun Chakravarthy (2/39) to help KKR beat DC.
Performance
Kuldeep's 2025 season and overall IPL numbers
Kuldeep has been a key performer for Delhi Capitals this season, playing a vital role in their bowling unit. He has picked up 12 wickets in 10 innings at an average of 21.92 and an impressive economy rate of 6.74. His best figures of 3/22 came against Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, he has gone wicketless in his last three outings. Overall, Kuldeep now has 99 IPL wickets in 94 matches at an average of 26.80, including four four-wicket hauls.