In the second ODI against New Zealand at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, Kuldeep Yadav had one of his most difficult performances in international cricket. On Wednesday, January 14, Daryl Mitchell and Co. took him to the dry cleaners.
On a difficult pitch, Michael Bracewell asked India to bat first, and they scored 284/7 in their 50 overs. The Men in Blue appeared to be 20–30 runs short of a par score despite having runs on the board.
The Kiwi openers were cheaply despatched by Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna, and captain Shubman Gill would have anticipated that his star spinner Kuldeep Yadav would cause chaos in the middle overs. But against Daryl Mitchell and Will Young, two outstanding spin players, the seasoned campaigner appeared ineffectual.
Young was removed by Kuldeep Yadav in the 38th over, but the Black Caps were already in a strong position.
In the end, the left-arm wrist spinner finished with figures of 1/82 in ten overs. Kuldeep ended up giving up more over 80 runs in an ODI innings for the third time.
Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav former Indian teammate, offered him encouragement despite the setback. Kuldeep was praised as the best spinner in world cricket across all formats by the leg-spinner for the Punjab Kings.
“Kuldeep Yadav is the world’s top spinner! Chahal posted on X (previously Twitter) with the hashtag #Champion #AnyFormat @imkuldeep18.
Kuldeep Yadav is no.1 SPINNER in whole WORLD ❤️🧿 #Champion #AnyFormat @imkuldeep18 🇮🇳 🫡
— Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal) January 15, 2026
The visitors easily won in 47.3 overs, and India lost by seven wickets. With an incredible 131 not out off 117 balls, including two sixes and 11 fours, Daryl Mitchell led the Kiwis in scoring. During his 87-run knock off 98 deliveries, Young also provided him with excellent support.
The series has a 1-1 tie after three games. On Sunday, January 18, the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore will host the third and final ODI.
India
