New Delhi, Mar 30, 2025, IANS

New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) Kuldeep Yadav opened up about his enduring spin partnership with Axar Patel, dating back to their U17 days, and said they together create a simple yet effective combination, with he being an attacking bowler and Axar providing control to create pressure on the batter. Both Axar and Kuldeep have been two of the four players DC have retained ahead of the mega auction last year. The former was later appointed as the captain of the side, with Kuldeep being the spin spearhead. Sharing his thoughts on his long-standing spin partnership with DC skipper, dating back to their early cricketing days, Kuldeep said on JioHotstar, "Axar and I have been playing together since our U-17 days, so our understanding is very smooth. We have a very clear-cut communication style. I remember during the U-19 World Cup in 2012, when we won in Australia under Unmukt Chand’s captaincy, we were both in standby. We’ve been together since then, which speaks volumes about our bond." "Our bowling partnership has always been simple. I have always been an attacking bowler, while Axar provides control, which creates pressure on the batsmen. That pressure often converts into wickets—either for him, for me, or for someone else bowling at the time. "The pressure Axar builds in the middle overs is crucial, and our communication is seamless when discussing plans. Like I used to understand Chahal’s game, I have the same understanding with Axar. While our bowling styles differ, my mindset remains very clear when bowling alongside him," he added. Axar joined DC in 2019 and has since emerged as one of the top-performing players for the franchise across the six seasons with his ability to step up to the occasion. In the 83 matches he has donned the DC jersey, Axar scored 989 runs and picked up 62 wickets. Kuldeep, on the other hand, joined DC in 2022 after spending five seasons with KKR (2016-2020) and delivered his best IPL season with 21 wickets. He has so far claimed 49 scalps for DC with the best figures of 4-14. Kuldeep further spoke about the challenges of bowling in the IPL and the importance of asserting dominance and said the tournament has a challenging format, where bowlers must aim to take control of the game. Players like Jasprit Bumrah and Sunil Narine have consistently done this, setting the bar high for bowlers to follow. "The IPL is very tough for bowlers—it’s highly competitive. You may pick up wickets, but you can’t always expect to maintain an economy of just 6 or 7 runs per over. It’s a challenging format with high-quality players. As a bowler, you must aim to dominate. Players like Jasprit Bumrah and Sunil Narine have done that consistently. "I learnt a lot from Sunil Narine when I was with KKR—he was ahead of his time. He always emphasised the importance of bowling length. Back then, I believed I could rely solely on my skills, but now I realise he was absolutely right. Since returning from injury, I’ve focused a lot on my length, and that has made a significant difference," he said.