Kul-ar/Ax-deep/Yad-Pat/Av-El: Call it whatever, the Kuldeep-Axar DC partnership, goes back a long way | Ipl News

Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel were part of the same squad that won the U19 World Cup under Unmukt Chand in 2012. Now reunited for Delhi Capitals the spin duo are riffing off the old bond.
“Axar and I have been playing together since our U-17 days, so our understanding is very smooth,” Kuldeep told JioHotsar’s Gen Bold show. “We have a very clear-cut communication style. I remember during the U-19 World Cup in 2012, when we won in Australia under Unmukt Chand’s captaincy, we were both in stand. We’ve been together since then, which speaks volumes about our bond,” Kuldeep said.
The Kul-Cha partnership became popular because of the popular, yummy Indian flavoured roti and also primarily how Kuldeep bowled in tandem with Yuzi Chahal. But Kul-Ar is growing in prominence too. “Our bowling partnership has always been simple. I have always been an attacking bowler, while Axar provides control, which creates pressure on the batsmen. That pressure often converts into wickets—either for him, for me, or for someone else bowling at the time. The pressure Axar builds in the middle overs is crucial, and our communication is seamless when discussing plans,” Kuldeep added. “Like I used to understand Chahal’s game, I have the same understanding with Axar. While our bowling styles differ, my mindset remains very clear when bowling alongside him,” Kuldeep explained.
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He however noted that the IPL in general is miserable for bowlers’ happiness with batsmen dominating. “The TATA IPL is very tough for bowlers—it’s highly competitive. You may pick up wickets, but you can’t always expect to maintain an economy of just 6 or 7 runs per over. It’s a challenging format with high-quality players,” Kuldeep told Gen Bold.
He also added that Sunil Narine and Jasprit Bumrah were the only ones to nail the puzzle, bowling length to be consent and not depending on skills solely. “As a bowler, you must aim to dominate. Players like Jasprit Bumrah and Sunil Narine have done that consently. I learned a lot from Sunil Narine when I was with KKR—he was ahead of his time. He always emphasized the importance of bowling length. Back then, I believed I could rely solely on my skills, but now I realize he was absolutely right. Since returning from injury, I’ve focused a lot on my length, and that has made a significant difference,” Kuldeep added.