Kuldeep Yadav admitted feeling awkward collecting the Player of the Match award after Virat Kohli's unbeaten 139 off 88 balls overshadowed his own match-winning contribution, as India cruised to an 8-wicket victory over West Indies in the first ODI at Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, 27 September. The left-arm wrist-spinner's figures of 4 for 40 in his full 10-over allocation were central to dismantling the West Indian batting order.

Kuldeep's Spell Breaks the Game Open

West Indies had appeared well set after openers John Campbell and another batsman forged a 135-run opening partnership, threatening to post a challenging total. Kuldeep broke that stand by removing Campbell and then systematically worked through the middle order, accounting for skipper Shai Hope, centurion Justin Greaves, and Jewel Andrew in successive stages to peg the visitors back. The wickets arrived at a critical juncture in the middle overs, curtailing the scoring momentum that West Indies had built at the top.

Kohli and Gill Make the Chase Comfortable

The India run-chase was defined by two outstanding innings. Shubman Gill, who captains the side in this series, contributed a composed 110, while Kohli took the game apart with an unbeaten 139 — a knock that also carried a landmark: Kohli crossed the 15,000-run mark in ODI cricket during the innings. The pair's batting left Kuldeep describing himself as a spectator in awe. 'I actually loved the batting from Shubman and Virat bhai, it was a special inning from them. It feels awkward to receive the Man of the Match award seeing the way Virat batted, it was an outstanding inning,' Kuldeep said at the post-match presentation.

Kuldeep on His Rhythm and Mindset

The wrist-spinner, who missed India's ODI series in England in July, credited a settled mental approach for his performance. 'I think personally I like my rhythm, to be very honest. I was very calm in my rhythm and just trying to bowl whatever I felt like bowling, just varying the pace, variations were superb, just reading the batters, where they're going to hit me, and yeah, I bowled very, very, very good in rhythm,' he said.

Kuldeep has experienced stretches on the fringes of the Indian squad, and acknowledged that performances like this are vital for self-belief. 'It always feels nice when you enjoy your bowling and that's where you achieve your best. When you are enjoying your bowling, when you are a bit relaxed as well, and then your performance comes at peak. So, sometimes it feels to get that confidence back, you have to have a bowling spell like this, definitely, you grow your confidence,' he added.

Room to Grow, Eyes on Consistency

Despite the four-wicket performance, Kuldeep was candid about his desire to keep improving. 'I still believe there's a lot to improve as a spinner and I believe the rhythm, it's all about your flow, bowling flow, and when you are comfortable and when you are in good flow, then everything looks so good. I personally feel there's still a chance to improve, and I'm going to stick with the same rhythm — that's the most important thing,' he said. Notably, this is the kind of form India will want Kuldeep to carry into the remainder of the series, with the second ODI now firmly in focus.