Bengaluru, April 20: Former England off-spinner Graeme Swann has lauded the Delhi Capitals' management for the way they have backed Kuldeep Yadav in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.
Kuldeep has been on a roll in IPL 2022 as the left-arm spinner is one of the contenders for the Purple Cap in the tournament.
And Swann believes it is the backing that the Capitals management has been giving Kuldeep that is working wonders for the spinner's confidence.
"It's the body language, the confidence, and the aura about him that has improved. He looks confident and is bowling into the wickets," Swann said on the Cricket Live show on Star Sports, the official broadcaster of IPL 2022.
Kuldeep's Capitals take on Punjab Kings in Match 32 of IPL 2022 at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday (April 20).
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The match was originally scheduled to be held at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune, but later shifted to the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai due to multiple COVID-19 cases in the Capitals camp.
Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh had to be hospitalised after testing positive for COVID-19, taking the total count to five cases in the Capitals' camp.
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Swann believes the reason behind Kuldeep finding his mojo back in the T20 format is more of a mental one than technical as the chinaman from India is bowling with more confidence for the Delhi-based franchise.
"When you look at a batter or a bowler who's on top of his game, inevitably you look at the technical side of it to see what the change is," Swann added.
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Kuldeep who has struggled in this format in the past has made a good comeback in IPL 2022 and Swann opined that it all boiled down to the mental aspects.
"Sometimes it's the mental side, the game (which) is to get the best out of him. I think that has a more dramatic influence on a bowler like Kuldeep. He's been a good bowler for many many years, you can't suddenly become a bad or a good bowler."
Swann's sentiments were echoed by Indian batting great Sunil Gavaskar who thinks Kuldeep will force his way back into the national T20 set-up.
"He's picking up wickets at crucial times and the fact that he's getting wickets, that also makes his chances of a comeback in India's T20 side stronger," Gavaskar said on the same show.
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The little master also praised Kuldeep for the way he has redeemed himself in IPL 2022.
"The left-handed spinner can bowl a very well disguised googly (and that makes him dangerous). He's a lot flatter, earlier on maybe, he was a little bit slower off the pitch, now he's just that touch quicker which will make batting difficult against him."
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All said and done, the COVID-19 hit Capitals camp will have to fire on all cylinders against PBKS on Tuesday.
Watch the Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings pre-match telecast from 6.30 pm onwards on the Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar.
The mach starts at 7.30pm IST.