Rajasthan Royals fast bowler successfully defended 15 off the last over against Lucknow Super Giants in a thrilling last-over finish at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Kuldeep conceded just 11 off the last six balls to finish with figures of 1 for 35. "He is a great guy, bowls with heart. He executed under pressure and will only grow from an experience like that," Royals quick Trent Boult said about Kuldeep after the match.
Kuldeep hails from Hariharpur in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district. His father Rampal Sen runs a small salon in the city. Kuldeep was initially spotted by local coaches.
Third of the five siblings, Kuldeep started playing cricket at the age of eight. Even the academy he played for waived his fees so that he could pursue his dreams.
“He is a talented medium pacer. He broke into the Ranji Trophy team in 2018, which was my first season as the coach. We saw him at the junior level, and our selectors and the team management were very impressed with his performances, and that’s why we decided to draft him for the senior team. He has been around in the circuit for a while and is quite quick,” former Madhya Pradesh captain Devendra Bundela said.
In his debut season, he had scalped five wickets in an innings against Punjab and ended the season with 25 wickets.
“He has good height and bowls the outswinger really well, and in terms of fitness, he is very particular. And in the limited-overs format, he can be effective with the bat as well and has the firepower to hit sixes. He has the potential to do well in the IPL,” Bundela, who has seen Kuldeep ever since his first-class debut, said.
“Despite coming from a lower-middle-class family, he has worked hard to come so far. He bowls the outswinger well, and because of his height, he can generate good bounce - which has helped him at the domestic level.”
In 16 first-class matches, Kuldeep has bagged 44 wickets, while he has four List A scalps in his kitty. In the T20s, he grabbed 12 wickets from 18 outings.
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