New Delhi, Apr 3:
Delhi Capitals began their IPL 2026 campaign on a commanding note, registering a convincing six-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium on Wednesday. The win, however, was as much about the result as it was about the resurgence of Kuldeep Yadav, whose confident spell drew praise from Cheteshwar Pujara.
Speaking after the match, Pujara highlighted the transformation in Kuldeep’s bowling over the past couple of years, attributing it largely to a surge in self-belief.
“Confidence makes a massive difference for any bowler. Kuldeep is now bowling without fear. There was a phase when he lacked belief in his own abilities, but that has clearly changed. With confidence comes the hunger to perform, and that’s exactly what we are seeing now,” Pujara remarked.
Kuldeep, played a crucial role with the ball, finishing with two wickets. He removed opener Mitchell Marsh, who had looked set after scoring 35 off 28 balls, and later dismissed Mukul Choudhary with a simple caught-and-bowled effort.
Interestingly, Kuldeep’s spell had its moment of challenge when Marsh welcomed him with a towering six. But the left-arm wrist spinner showed no hesitation in sticking to his attacking approach, tossing the ball up and inviting the batter to take risks. The tactic paid off almost immediately, with Marsh holing out in the deep just deliveries later.
Pujara noted that this fearless mindset has been key to Kuldeep’s effectiveness.