Lucknow, June 3 -- For any cricketer, missing an entire season of the IPL is a big disappointment, and excelling after coming out of that trauma takes a lot. Pacer Kartik Tyagi has been a perfect example of redemption in IPL 2026; even after missing the entire 2025 season, he came back strongly, finishing among the top 10 bowlers of IPL 2026 with 18 wickets at an economy of 9.76. Bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for just Rs.30 lakh after going unsold earlier, the Uttar Pradesh pacer emerged as KKR's leading fast bowler in 13 matches, boasting a bowling average of 24.55-a massive improvement over his IPL 2020-24 average of 47.53. KKR's next best pacer of IPL 2026, Vaibhav Arora, was seven wickets behind. Tyagi's transformation isn't just about fitness, but it's technical and mental. After years derailed by shin splints and recurring injuries, he worked closely with childhood physios to rebuild his running mechanics, shortening his run-up and correcting issues like "out-jumping" that disrupted his load and repetition. This foundational work allowed him to harness his signature raw pace and swing more consistently. More critically, Tyagi, 25, has developed a deadly slower ball, evolving from a pure speed bowler into a T20-relevant all-format threat. His ability to defend low totals under pressure has sharpened, which was evident in his career-best three-wicket haul in the final over against Rajasthan Royals, where he tightened his spell after an expensive start. "It was quite disappointing and frustrating; watching the IPL from outside was tough, but he didn't lose his confidence and kept working hard on his skills at his K9 Academy in Hapur. I told him to train with six variations in an over, including outswing, inswing, short-pitched delivery, a bouncer, a slower one and a yorker too, and it really worked magic," said his coach Vipin Vats on Tuesday. Former Ranji Trophy cricketer and a selector in UP, Vats, who travels to Hapur to train Tyagi twice a week, said the bowler went through his paces at Meerut's Victoria Park in his early days, which also remained the training venue of both Praveen Kumar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. "Consistency in bowling, especially picking the right spots, has helped both Bhuvneshwar and Tyagi make an impact in IPL 2026. I did suggest a few changes in Tyagi's bowling style, especially his steps and jump and now I can see him as a different bowler altogether," added Vats, who has also been Bhuvneshwar's coach. He's also cultivated greater self-belief, crediting his UPT20 league performance-18 wickets in 11 games-for reigniting his confidence before IPL 2026. "That season in UPT20L changed his fortunes and that performance turned out to be a game changer for him," said UP's former Ranji Trophy coach Gyanendra Pandey on Tuesday. "In this IPL season, Tyagi did great for KKR and made his presence felt. For sure, his showing will help him to make a big impact in the upcoming season of UPT20L as well as the new domestic season," added Pandey. Tyagi already plays all three formats for Uttar Pradesh, and his IPL resurgence strengthens his case for deeper domestic roles and potential national selection. His UPT20 success last year was pivotal in his comeback, proving he can perform in high-stakes regional tournaments. Tyagi made his first-class debut at the age of 16. Then he was India's most successful bowler at the 2020 Under-19 World Cup, and in IPL 2020, he was the most successful fast bowler after Jofra Archer for Rajasthan Royals. Bowling at speeds between 145kph and 150kph brought him in the spotlight, but he did more than just bowl fast. His death-bowling smarts helped him defend just four runs in a final over of an IPL game against Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Deepak Hooda and Fabian Allen. However, it's been grim reading since then. He played just four IPL matches in 2021, two in 2022, three in 2023, just one in 2024, and missed 2025 altogether. And despite making his first-class debut in 2017, he only has four matches in that format, just 20 List A games, and a total of 37 T20s....