Kuldeep Yadav had the UAE batters trapped in a web of spin as Team India made rather quick work of the hosts in the opening game of the ongoing Asia Cup for both teams. Kuldeep registered the second-best figures by an Indian in T20Is in the UAE as India shot the hosts out for 57.
It turned out to be a damp squib as the Indian team returned to the field after a long wait of 35 days, as the whole game was done in 17.4 overs, with the Men in Blue chasing down the target of 58 in just 4.3 overs. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) to their credit, began on a good note, scoring 25 runs in the first three overs with Alishan Sharafu going after the Indian bowlers; however, one wicket and it all came downhill for the hosts.
Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy started the procession, before Kuldeep Yadav was introduced and ran away with the game, taking 4/7, including three wickets in one over. The UAE collapsed from 47/2 to 57 all-out, losing eight wickets for last 10 runs, with Kuldeep taking four and all-rounder Shivam Dube also accounting for three batters.
Kuldeep’s four-wicket haul helped him get to the milestone of 50 wickets away from home, becoming the sixth Indian bowler to do so in T20Is and leapfrogged R Ashwin on the list during his match-winning spell. Kuldeep has 52 wickets outside India in T20Is, with Arshdeep Singh leading the list at 71.
Most wickets for India in T20Is (outside India)
71 – Arshdeep Singh (45 innings)
63 – Hardik Pandya (59 innings)
62 – Jasprit Bumrah (42 innings)
56 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar (53 innings)
52 – Kuldeep Yadav (25 innings)
50 – R Ashwin (44 innings)
Kuldeep was playing a T20I for India for the first time since last year’s T20 World Cup final and now, with that performance, he might have created a selection headache for his captain, also because Shivam Dube delivered with the ball. Arshdeep Singh sat out as India went with just three frontline bowlers, and Bumrah was the only fast bowler.
The massive win took India’s net run rate through the roof into double digits as India presented their contention for the title in their first game itself.