Forgettable season

And this is not just a case of one bad game. The left-arm wrist-spinner is having a forgettable season, his seven wickets in 10 games coming at an economy rate of 10.37 runs per over, and a bowling average well north of 44.

Whenever Kuldeep has faced a problem or crisis in his career, he has turned to his longtime coach Kapil Pandey for guidance. The coach from Kanpur had orchestrated his comeback after injuries and surgeries and helped him bounce back when his effectiveness was questioned due to his slow pace, which often allowed batters time to adjust even after being beaten in the air.

Pandey, who was watching Tuesday’s game, took it upon himself to call his protégé and offer words of advice and encouragement.

“I saw that he was a bit disturbed and called him after the game to tell him not to worry too much,” Pandey told The Indian Express. “He bowled well in his first two overs in which he conceded just 16 runs. It was only in the third that he lost the plot a bit and gave away 18 runs.”

Pandey believes his ward’s confidence is low and needs to focus on his strengths.

“He is missing his length. Yesterday, he bowled a fast one down the leg side, which Samson just tickled for a boundary. He should have gone for a googly but was bowling short a lot of the time,” he said. “Kuldeep should have relied on his skill and variations and tried to spin the ball.”

The Delhi pitch on Tuesday had something for the bowlers, but Pandey said there wasn’t much assistance by the time Kuldeep came on to bowl.

“There was some grip and turn, and Akeal Hosein took advantage. But that was only in the first innings. DC should have bowled first. Generally, the IPL has good wickets with not much in them for spinners,” he said.

Kuldeep hasn’t taken a wicket since April 25, when Punjab Kings achieved the highest-ever successful run-chase in the IPL. Pandey went back to that game to explain Kuldeep’s recent struggles.

“In that game, an easy catch of Shreyas Iyer was dropped off Kuldeep’s bowling, and he went on to win the game for the Punjab Kings. That’s not the only drop suffered by him this season. A spinner needs support from his fielders to provide results. That game hurt his confidence.”

Backing from team

The coach said the present scenario isn’t unusual for a spinner playing in the IPL for 11 years now, apart from his international career.

“Batters face him in the nets and matches. They get to read his variations, and there is not much novelty left. The team needs to back him now as he has done very well for the franchise over a long period. One also needs to see that a score of 155 made matters tough for the bowlers.”

Even if Axar can be excused for seething a bit after a defeat that puts their Playoff hopes in further jeopardy, Kuldeep’s poor returns have not escaped the attention of DC head coach Hemang Badani either.

“We would ideally want him to be better than this. He hasn’t struck peak form yet. He hasn’t bowled at the speeds he would normally bowl. But we will rally around him,” Badani said.

As far as Kuldeep himself is concerned, his coach advised him to get back into the nets and iron out his shortcomings.

“One doesn’t need to worry about the odd bad day. He should practice spot bowling to get his length back,” Pandey added.