“He sat out the series and served water”

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has lauded Kuldeep Yadav following his heroics with the ball against the UAE at the 2025 Asia Cup. The cricketer-turned-analyst stressed that Kuldeep grabbed the opportunity with both hands by using his time wisely despite warming the bench and serving as waterboy throughout the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England. He reckoned that the left-arm wrist-spinner would’ve easily finished with a fifer if he had bowled the remaining 11 balls of his quota of four overs.

Notably, Kuldeep finished with remarkable figures of 4/7 in 2.1 overs, including three wickets in his second over. His exploits saw the UAE dismissed for 57 in 13.1 overs. The 30-year-old was adjudged Player of the Match for their brilliant bowling spell as India won the game by nine wickets in just 27 balls. Interestingly, this was his first T20I after the 2024 T20 World Cup.

On Thursday (September 11), Mohammad Kaif said on Instagram:

“Kuldeep Yadav did not play any match on the England tour. He sat out throughout the series and served water. He only practiced, and after 108 days, he got the opportunity to play in the Asia Cup against the UAE. With four wickets, he became Player of the Match.”

“Kuldeep Yadav gave just seven runs and bagged four wickets. He took three wickets in his second over, in just one over. The match ended there. Bowled just 13 balls and bagged four wickets, and there were 11 deliveries to spare. If he had bowled those 11 balls, he would have finished with five or six wickets,” he added.

“Asia Cup mein yeh ban jayega turup ka ikka” – Mohammad Kaif’s massive prediction on Kuldeep Yadav

Mohammad Kaif believes that Kuldeep Yadav will play a massive role in India’s title defence at the Asia Cup 2025. He added that the UP-born player can deliver against any team regardless of the conditions. The 44-year-old said in the same video:

“Don’t say that the UAE is a weaker team. I can understand. You can bring Pakistan, New Zealand, play an IPL match, you bowl him anywhere in the middle overs, he’s a genuine wicket-taker. That’s why the Indian team has got a bowler who has form and became Man of the Match. Asia Cup mein yeh ban jayega turup ka ikka (He will become X-factor in Asia Cup).”

With 73 scalps in 41 T20Is, Kuldeep Yadav eclipsed Ravichandran Ashwin’s (72) tally of wickets for India in T20Is. Overall, Arshdeep Singh tops the list with 99 scalps in 63 T20Is. The Men in Blue will next be seen in action against arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, September 14.