Kuldeep Yadav Family Tree

Personal Details

• 🎂 Date of Birth
• 14 December 1994
• 📍 Place of Birth
• Unnao, Uttar Pradesh
• 👨‍👩‍👦 Family
• Father: Ram Singh Yadav
• Mother: Usha Yadav

Early Career

• Kuldeep Yadav entered professional cricket through his domestic career quickly gaining attention for his unique bowling style.
• 🌱 Early Life and Background
• Kuldeep Yadav was born in Unnao and raised in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in a modest family where his father ran a brick kiln. From an early age, his father strongly supported his passion for cricket and personally ensured that Kuldeep received proper coaching and encouragement to pursue the sport seriously.
• 🎯 Finding His Bowling Identity
• Inspired by fast-bowling legends Wasim Akram and Zaheer Khan, Kuldeep initially dreamed of becoming a left-arm seamer. However, his coach observed that his lean physique and natural ability to generate turn made him better suited to spin bowling. He was therefore guided towards left-arm wrist spin, a decision that transformed his career. Kuldeep began studying Shane Warne’s bowling in depth, frequently watching his videos to learn about grip, length, variations, and the effective use of the crease, eventually making Warne his role model.
• 🌑 Early Struggles and Mental Challenge
• Kuldeep has openly spoken about a difficult phase in his early life when he was not selected for the Uttar Pradesh Under-15 team. The rejection left him deeply disheartened, and he briefly considered giving up cricket altogether. With strong family support and renewed determination, he overcame this setback and returned with greater focus and resilience.
• 🏏 Domestic and IPL Beginnings
• Kuldeep’s professional journey began when he was part of the Mumbai Indians squad in 2012. He later joined the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 and represented them in the Champions League Twenty20 the same year. He was bought back by KKR in the 2018 IPL auction, and in 2022, his career saw a major revival when Delhi Capitals picked him up. That season proved to be a standout year, as he delivered several match-winning performances and emerged as one of the most impactful players of the tournament.

Career Journey

• Kuldeep Yadav a left-arm unorthodox spin bowler, has revolutionized Indian cricket with his unique wrist-spin artistry.
• 🌍 International Debut & Early Breakthrough
• Kuldeep Yadav was first selected for the Indian team during the West Indies tour in October 2014, though he did not get a chance to play. His real international breakthrough came in February 2017, when he was added to India’s Test squad for the one-off match against Bangladesh. Soon after, he made his Test debut against Australia on 25 March 2017 in Dharamshala, where he impressed immediately by taking four wickets in the first innings. With this performance, Kuldeep became the first left-arm wrist spinner to represent India in Test cricket and only the third such bowler in Test history to take four wickets on debut.
• 🏏 Entry into Limited-Overs Cricket
• In June 2017, Kuldeep was named in India’s squad for the limited-overs tour of the West Indies. He made his ODI debut on 23 June 2017, though rain denied him a chance to bowl in the match. He made up for it in the very next game, claiming three wickets. Soon after, he made his T20I debut on 9 July 2017, also against the West Indies, marking his arrival across all formats.
• 🎩 Hat-tricks & Historic Feats
• Kuldeep etched his name into the record books on 21 September 2017, when he took a hat-trick in an ODI against Australia at Eden Gardens, becoming only the third Indian bowler to achieve the feat after Chetan Sharma and Kapil Dev.
  His rise continued in July 2018, when he took his first five-wicket haul in T20Is against England, becoming the first left-arm wrist spinner to take a five-for in T20I cricket and only the third Indian to do so.
• 🔥 Record-Breaking Performances
• On 12 July 2018, during the first ODI against England, Kuldeep delivered a sensational spell of 6/25, his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs. This performance set the record for the best bowling figures by a left-arm spinner in ODIs and broke Shahid Afridi’s long-standing records for best figures by a spinner against England and in England.
  Later that year, in October 2018, he picked up his first Test five-wicket haul against the West Indies.
• 📈 Rankings & Consistency
• Kuldeep’s strong performances against Australia during the 2018–19 T20I series saw him jump 20 places to reach a career-best third position in the ICC T20I bowlers’ rankings in November 2018. In January 2019, during the fourth Test at the SCG, he claimed his second Test five-for (5/99), proving his effectiveness even on Australian pitches. A month later, he rose to second place in the T20I rankings.
• 🌏 World Cups & Double Hat-trick
• Kuldeep was named in India’s squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup, and during the tournament year, he played his 50th ODI against England. On 18 December 2019, he achieved another rare milestone by becoming the first Indian bowler to take two ODI hat-tricks, both against the West Indies.
• 🏆 Resurgence & Asia Cup Glory
• After a lean phase post-2019 World Cup, Kuldeep made a strong comeback during India’s 2023 tour of the Caribbean, picking up seven wickets at an excellent average. He was retained for the Asia Cup 2023, where he played a decisive role. Against Pakistan, he took 5/25, helping India to a massive win, and followed it up with 4/43 against Sri Lanka, becoming the fastest Indian spinner to reach 150 ODI wickets. He finished the tournament with nine wickets, as India lifted the trophy and Kuldeep was named Player of the Tournament.
• 🌍 2023 World Cup & Recent Milestones
• In the 2023 Cricket World Cup, Kuldeep delivered consistent spells, starting with a solid performance against Australia and following it up with impactful outings against Pakistan and England. Despite a few quieter games, he answered critics with timely breakthroughs.
  On 7 March 2024, he claimed another five-wicket haul in Tests against England in Dharamshala. His performances ensured his selection in India’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, further cementing his place as a key spinner in the Indian setup.

Achievements and Milestones

• Player of the Tournament – Asia Cup 2023
• Player of the Match (ODI vs Pakistan, Asia Cup) 2023, (ODI vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup) 2023
• ICC Men’s T20I Bowler – Career-best No. 3 Ranking 2018, No. 2 Ranking 2019
• Fastest Indian Spinner to 100 ODI Wickets 2020
• Fastest Indian Spinner to 150 ODI Wickets 2023
• First Indian Bowler to Take Two ODI Hat-tricks 2019
• First Left-arm Wrist Spinner to Take T20I Five-wicket Haul 2018