IPL 2022 | 'Kuldeep is thriving in DC environment', says coach Ponting

The former Aussie captain praised the rejuvenated Kuldeep Yadav at the post-match press conference. Ponting said that Delhi Capitals (DC) environment has played a crucial role in Kuldeep’s rise. 

The left-arm wrist spinner has already taken 11 wickets in his first five games for the Capitals in this IPL. "Kuldeep seems to be thriving in the environment that we are creating around him. I was very keen on going into the auction to bring Kuldeep to Delhi Capitals. He wasn't able to get the opportunities with KKR last season that he probably felt he should have got,” said Ricky Ponting at the post-match conference.

Ponting also mentioned Kuldeep’s prowess in the past, which brought his team heaps of success. He added, "Only 3-4 years ago, he was one of the leading spinners in IPL and was playing for his country, so all the skill and talent was there. We just needed to build some fences around and make him feel at home and give him confidence and back his skills."

At the press conference, Ponting also expressed concerns about their performances and explained why the Delhi Capitals’ batting has failed to fire this season.

"We haven't had our full-strength batting. Mitchell Marsh played his first game and probably didn't quite fit the tempo of the game that we needed. Rovman Powell hasn't fired so far in the middle order. So we need to fix some things and what we intended to do throughout the tournament."

Ponting also expressed that the team has to improve in all areas of the game. "There are definitely some areas for improvement with the bat and ball. In a couple of overs, we absolutely have been blown out of the park. We need to get better in all aspects of the game."

The former Aussie emphasized the importance of their upcoming matches and said the top order has to deliver for them to win big games.

“The next two games are pretty important for us and we need to look at all aspects of our game, pick the right team and those 11 players we pick, need to stand up and get the job done.”

“We want the guys to have the best opportunities to make big scores and obviously if you are batting in the top 4 in T20, you have got the best opportunity to make big scores. Prithvi (Shaw) has been playing exceptionally well, but if one of the top-4 go on to make a big score of 80-plus we know what will happen, but that hasn't happened for us so far." Concluded Ponting.

In their next two fixtures, Delhi Capitals will face Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals; both teams are in excellent batting form. It will be interesting to see how Kuldeep Yadav fares against the likes of Agarwal, Livingstone, and Buttler.