Yorkshire head coach Anthony McGrath also praised Kuldeep’s control, his ability to change angles and the amount of turn he was able to generate
Published: September 15, 2026, 8:05 AM IST
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File photo of Kuldeep Yadav(Credits: IANS)
Kuldeep Yadav made his final County Championship appearance of the season one to remember, producing his best performance in first-class cricket as Yorkshire crushed Essex by an innings and 106 runs at Headingley.
The India spinner finished with 10 wickets in the match, taking 4/70 in the first innings before returning with 6/50 in the secondHis efforts helped Yorkshire wrap up the game inside three days and, more importantly, secure their place in Division One.
Kuldeep’s performance also earned him the County Championship Player of the Round award for his match figures of 10/120The 31-year-old had joined Yorkshire on a short-term deal in July and made an immediate impact despite having to leave the county side for India’s Test series in Sri Lanka.
After returning from international duty, Kuldeep played against Surrey at The Oval before producing a match-winning show against EssexHis bowling was particularly effective in the second innings, when he made good use of the footmarks on the pitch and repeatedly troubled the Essex batters.
Kuldeep explained that the pitch was not heavily in favour of the spinners when he first bowledInstead, he focused on making the batters play and wait for mistakes.
In the second innings, however, he changed his approach and bowled from different anglesUsing the rough areas outside the stumps, he managed to bring the ball back towards the batters and made scoring difficult.
The performance also strengthened Kuldeep’s connection with YorkshireSpeaking after the match, he said he would return to the County Championship, describing the club and Headingley as his ultimate home.
“It’s not the home conditions that I grew up playing in, but this is the ultimate home now,” Kuldeep said.
He also praised the people around the team and the young players in the squad, saying he had enjoyed his time with Yorkshire and promising to return.
Yorkshire head coach Anthony McGrath was equally impressedHe praised Kuldeep’s control, his ability to change angles and the amount of turn he was able to generateMcGrath also said the club would be keen to have the spinner back in the future.
Yorkshire off-spinner Dom Bess, who shared an 83-run eighth-wicket partnership with Kuldeep in the first innings, also highlighted his love for bowling and the craft of spin.
