(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
Kuldeep Yadav’s Spin Magic Sinks Pakistan in Asia Cup Thriller
In a nail-biting Asia Cup clash in Dubai, India’s spin wizard Kuldeep Yadav stole the show, helping bowl out Pakistan for just 127/9 in 20 overs. The high-stakes India vs Pakistan match on Sunday turned one-sided early, but a late spark from Shaheen Afridi kept fans on edge. Now, India needs 128 runs to chase down the total and grab the win.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and chose to bat first, but things went wrong right away. Opener Saim Ayub fell for a golden duck on the first legal ball, caught by Hardik Pandya’s sharp bowling. Mohammad Haris joined the crease, but India’s ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah struck next over, dismissing him for 3 after a failed pull shot.
Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman tried to steady the ship and push the scoring rate. They took Pakistan to 42/2 at the end of the powerplay. But spinner Axar Patel broke through in the 8th over, sending Fakhar back for 17 off 15 balls. Fun fact: Since 2021, Fakhar has struggled against spinners, averaging just 13 when charging down the track—with eight such dismissals, second only to Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz among full-member batters.
Captain Salman Agha couldn’t break his Asia Cup run drought either. Axar got him for 3 off 12 balls, leaving Pakistan reeling at 49/4 after 10 overs. India’s bowlers dominated, mixing pace and spin to keep Pakistan’s aggressive shots in check.
Enter Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm spinner who turned the game on its head. He delivered a double whammy, removing Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Nawaz on consecutive balls. Farhan, Pakistan’s top scorer with a gritty 40 off 44 balls—including three sixes and a four—fought hard but fell to Kuldeep in the 17th over.
Shaheen Afridi brought some fireworks, blasting 33 off 16 balls with two massive sixes off Kuldeep and Varun Chakaravarthy. That injected life into the innings, but Chakaravarthy hit back by dismissing Faheem Ashraf right after his six. Sufiyan Muqeem joined the fun, smashing two fours off Bumrah in the 19th over, but the veteran seamer had the last laugh, bowling him for 10 off 6 balls.
Pakistan’s bowlers now face a chase where India’s strong batting lineup could seal an easy victory. Kuldeep finished with impressive figures of 3/18, proving why he’s a key player in India vs Pakistan encounters.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 127/9 in 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 40, Shaheen Afridi 33*; Kuldeep Yadav 3/18) vs India.
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