"Extremely happy with whatever has gone right through the season": Kuldeep Yadav after match-winning performance against KKR

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 25 : Delhi Capitals finished their IPL 2026 campaign with a 40-run win against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday. Kuldeep Yadav emerged as the top wicket-taker for DC, which helped his side win the match.
Kuldeep was named Player of the Match for his bowling figure of 29/3. He talked about his wickets and bowling plans during the post-match presentation.
"Obviously, I was very clear with my plan. I saw early on that the wicket was a bit slow, and I was just trying to vary the pace, mix it up with scrambled seam and try to deceive the batter. The wicket of Rinku was a perfect example because I tried to slow it down through the air, and he played it straight away, so it was a good ball to get him out," he said.
Kuldeep dismissed KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane (63 off 39 balls), all-rounder Cameron Green (2 off 3 balls) and destructive batter Rinku Singh for a golden duck.
"I'm happy, extremely happy with whatever has gone right through the season. To be very honest, I wasn't happy before this match because the way we wanted as a team to have a great season, we couldn't finish in the top four. Personally, I thought I didn't have a great season, to be very honest, because I was expecting more from myself, but I couldn't deliver this season. But after the last game, I went back home and worked with my coach on the things I needed to improve. I played one game there and realised it was just the small things you forget very quickly, especially in white-ball cricket. To go there, work on those things and come back here and bowl like that, it was lovely to see," he said.
Speaking on what has been going wrong with his bowling, Kuldeep said, "I thought I was bowling a bit more open-chested and sometimes not using my full body. What happens then is you just push the ball, and that's where T20 batters become extremely strong to hit you down the ground and play off the back foot. Once you start using more of your body and try to spin the ball harder, ultimately you see the results. You get the dip and the drift, and obviously, you can vary the pace as well. It was lovely to see, and I think it was a lovely game for me, especially coming back from the last game."
Kuldeep was at a point on a hat-trick, and he nearly achieved that, but a dropped catch by wicketkeeper Abishek Porel denied him his well-deserved hat-trick.
On narrowly missing out on a hat-trick, Kuldeep said, "It happens in the game, and I'm very happy with the performance, to be very honest. Getting a hat-trick or not is just part of the game, but the way I bowled, I'm pleased now."
DC finished in sixth place with their seventh win of the season after they successfully defended 204 in their final league-stage match. KKR, on the other hand, finished just below them in seventh place with six wins.
Batting first, the visitors posted 203/5, powered by a quickfire 60 from KL Rahul, 39 from skipper Axar Patel, and a late surge from David Miller and Ashutosh Sharma. KKR's bowlers shared the wickets but struggled to contain the scoring in the death overs.
In reply, KKR began steadily with Finn Allen and Ajinkya Rahane putting on 43 runs, while Rahane and Manish Pandey kept the momentum going through the power play. However, the innings shifted after Kuldeep Yadav's double strike removed Rahane and Rinku Singh, followed by Axar Patel's wicket of Tejasvi Dahiya.
Mitchell Starc and Lungi Ngidi then cleaned up the lower order as KKR were bowled out for 163 in 18.4 overs, sealing a comprehensive win for DC and ending their campaign on a positive note.
On going back to basics in T20 cricket, Kuldeep said, "Hundred per cent. When I spoke to my coach, he was really straightforward with me and said, "Boss, you need to spin the ball. Try to deceive the batter." I understand that batters are going hard against you, but when you're spinning the ball, you always have a chance to get them out. I also wasn't using my full body in the last couple of games. I thought I bowled well in patches, but when you miss something in your run-up or rhythm, it ultimately affects your game."