IPL 2024: 'Important to bowl on good length at death': Kuldeep Yadav

Delhi Capitals` Kuldeep Yadav (C) celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Rajasthan Royals` Donovan Ferreira during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Pic/AFP

Delhi Capitals left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who returned match-winning figures of 2/25 against Rajasthan Royals, said his bowling approach to Donovan Ferreira was the key to his side's 20-run win in IPL 2024 on Tuesday.

Kuldeep gave the twin blows in the crucial 18th over to virtually end the hopes of Rajasthan Royals' chase of 222.

Rajasthan needed 41 from last three overs with the big hitting South African Ferreira at the crease but Kuldeep dismissed him in the first ball of his final over.

"I have played against him (Ferreira) in South Africa and I knew he was a back foot player and wanted to stay a little full and quick and got him out first ball," Kuldeep said at the presentation ceremony after being adjudged player-of-the-match.

"It is very important to bowl on a good length and that's the main challenge when I bowl in the death overs. I bowled a couple of seam-up deliveries to read what the batters are doing. Just the length matters for me and that was the plan," he said.

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Bowling at the death was a concern for DC but skipper Rishabh Pant was a happy man after their show on Tuesday.

"As always, Kuldeep delivered. The way our bowlers executed at the back end was the main positive and it was really good to see. We will try to learn from every game," Pant said.

We gave away 10 runs extra: Samson

Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson said Tristan Stubbs's 20-ball 41 at the death proved to be difference as they ended up giving away "10 runs extra". "We had it in our hands, it was like 11-12 runs per over, it was achievable, but these things happen in IPL.

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220 was 10 runs extra to chase, if we had conceded a couple of less boundaries, we would have made it through," Samson said. "You have to give credit to someone like Stubbs who batted well against Sandeep (Sharma), who has been bowling very well in the last 10-11 games, he scored 2-3 sixes extra against my best bowlers who are Yuzi Chahal and Sandeep Sharma. We have lost the game, we have to find out where we lost the game and we need to keep moving," said Samson.

(With agency inputs)