New Delhi, May 25 (IANS) Former India captain Anil Kumble said Kuldeep Yadav’s spell against Kolkata Knight Riders reaffirmed his status as ‘a match-winner’ in his eyes, while adding that Delhi Capitals should have shown greater faith in the wrist spinner earlier in the season, given his proven ability to deliver multiple breakthroughs.

Kuldeep finished with just ten wickets in IPL 2026, but signed off from the season on a high by picking 3-29 and helping DC beat KKR by 40 runs at the Eden Gardens on Sunday evening.

“Kuldeep Yadav has always been a match-winner for me. Every bowler goes through difficult phases, but players with his skill and experience have the ability to bounce back strongly, and that’s exactly what he showed today. When Kuldeep gets wickets, he doesn’t just pick up one, he changes games with multiple breakthroughs, like we saw in this spell.

“That’s why I was a little surprised Delhi Capitals didn’t bring him back into the lineup earlier. Batters are often given a short break to reset and return stronger, but from a bowling perspective, someone with Kuldeep’s quality, confidence, and pride should ideally have been backed much sooner because he brings genuine wicket-taking ability to the side,” said Kumble on JioHotstar.

On Mumbai Indians falling short by 30 runs to Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium, Kumble pointed to the dismissal of skipper Hardik Pandya as the decisive moment in the chase. “When Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav were batting together, Mumbai Indians looked firmly in control of the chase.

“Even after the dropped catch, Hardik immediately responded with a couple of sixes and boundaries, and at that stage it genuinely felt like the target was within reach because Mumbai still had batting depth left. The key for those two was to reduce the equation further and leave something manageable, around 20 or 30 runs, for the lower order.

“But once more than 50 runs were left for the remaining batters, the pressure shifted back onto Mumbai Indians. That’s where Jofra Archer’s return spell became crucial, because dismissing Hardik Pandya at that moment completely changed the momentum of the chase,” he added.

–IANS

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