Veteran India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla believes that left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav is in prime form and poised to make a significant impact in India’s T20 World Cup semifinal clash against England at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Thursday night. After missing the Group A matches due to pace-friendly conditions in New York, Kuldeep has emerged as a key player in the Super Eights, claiming seven wickets at an average of 10.71 and an economy rate of just 6.25 in the Caribbean.
With Guyana’s pitch expected to assist spinners, Kuldeep’s ability to vary his pace, use the crease effectively, and bamboozle batters with his subtle variations makes him a crucial asset for India. Chawla highlighted Kuldeep’s resurgence as one of the greatest comebacks in Indian cricket, noting his unorthodox left-arm wrist spin and deceptive variations as potential game-changers in the middle overs.
Kuldeep has a solid track record against England, including memorable performances like his six-wicket haul in the Nottingham ODI and a five-wicket haul in the Manchester T20I in 2018. More recently, he took a five-fer in the final Test at Dharamshala during a series win against England. He also has a good record against England captain Jos Buttler, having dismissed him three times in T20s, including during the IPL 2024 when he trapped Buttler lbw on a reverse-sweep.
Chawla emphasized Kuldeep’s importance in disrupting England’s aggressive batting approach in the semi-final, predicting that his current form and confidence make him a significant threat capable of making the middle overs challenging for England’s batsmen.
On the other side, England’s leg-spinner Adil Rashid is expected to play a pivotal role in controlling the middle overs. In the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final against India, Rashid’s spell of 1-20 in four overs, including dismissing an in-form Suryakumar Yadav, was instrumental in England’s ten-wicket victory. Rashid has continued to be effective in the ongoing tournament, picking up nine wickets with his precise control over pace and variations.
Chawla noted that Rashid’s ability to maintain discipline, apply pressure, and break partnerships in the middle overs will be crucial for England. His knack for delivering impactful spells that control the run flow and provide timely breakthroughs could be key to England’s success against India.
As the two teams prepare for this highly anticipated semi-final clash, the performances of Kuldeep Yadav and Adil Rashid in the middle overs could be decisive in determining the outcome of the match.