Kuldeep Yadav overtakes Yuzvendra Chahal as India's top T20I wicket-taker, sends 'KulCha' partner heartfelt message

Kuldeep Yadav overtakes Yuzvendra Chahal as India's top T20I wicket-taker

Kuldeep Yadav has moved past his long-time spin partner Yuzvendra Chahal to become India's leading wicket-taker in T20 Internationals — but the left-arm wrist-spinner says the milestone came with a tinge of regret rather than unqualified joy.

Ahead of the second T20I against West Indies in Ranchi on Friday, Kuldeep opened up about surpassing Chahal in India's T20I wicket tally during a JioStar interaction with his former bowling ally.

"I'm not particularly happy about it. I would have preferred it if we were playing together, because we could have broken many more records together," Kuldeep told Chahal.

Kuldeep now has 97 wickets from 56 T20Is, one more than Chahal's 96 from 80 matches.

The enduring 'KulCha' bond

The partnership between Kuldeep and Chahal flourished across formats, with the two wrist-spinners regularly troubling opposition batters through their contrasting styles and ability to attack in tandem. Their success made 'KulCha' a familiar name among Indian cricket fans.

Chahal, who announced his retirement from red-ball cricket earlier this month, is part of the broadcaster's team for the ongoing series. Kuldeep spoke warmly about the bond they shared on the field.

"But it also feels good to watch you from the other end now. Whenever you're around, there's always a great atmosphere while playing, and I also get to learn a lot about bowling from you. I'll always be grateful for that," Kuldeep said.

Finding his T20 rhythm again

Kuldeep also reflected on his return to T20 cricket after a lengthy break, acknowledging that adapting from the longer white-ball format required adjustments to his bowling rhythm and lengths.

"When I last played a T20 match, my rhythm was more like that of ODI cricket. In ODIs, you always have more time to spin the ball and more opportunities to do so," he explained. "So, if you look at my first two overs, I was bowling with a little more loop because I hadn't played T20 cricket for quite some time. But that's no excuse. When you switch formats, you have to plan accordingly."

Kuldeep felt his control improved as the innings progressed. "I think I showed better control in my last two overs and pushed my lengths back a little. Those are the small adjustments you have to make. I'm sure I'll keep making them going forward."

Plan against West Indies power-hitters

With West Indies boasting several powerful hitters, Kuldeep said his approach remained centred on controlling the length and denying batters the freedom to swing.

"We've played a lot of matches together, and our discussions have always revolved around one thing: hitting the right length and not giving the batters a chance to free their arms," he said. "That's what I try to do — stick to my length, keep the ball in the right areas, and not give them room to swing freely."

He added that even a marginal error could prove costly against the Caribbean batters. "They generate so much power with their bat speed that even a slightly overpitched delivery can disappear over the boundary."

Kuldeep also responded playfully when Chahal asked whether he would celebrate his 100th wicket with a pose inspired by his former partner. "Absolutely, I'll do my best to pose like you if I get those wickets!" he replied, before stressing that team success remained his priority. "Reaching a milestone is definitely important, but I'm not focusing too much on it. I just want the match to go well for our team and to bowl well. That's more important."