Travelling a roaring come-back to the Indian team, Kuldeep Yadav set the Asia Cup 2025 opener against the United Arab Emirates alight with a blistering spell on Wednesday. Having begun with a neat first over that cost just four runs, the 30-year-old left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav flipped the game on its head in his second over.
In the 9th over of UAE’s innings, Kuldeep Yadav was on song, hitting three times to destroy the batting rhythm of the hosts. Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Rahul Chopra with the first ball, before catching skipper Muhammad Waseem plumb in front on the fourth. To finish an out-of-the-world over, Kuldeep Yadav fired in a guileful googly that left Harshit Kaushik bamboozled, knocking back his stumps. From 50/2, UAE collapsed dramatically to 50/5, facing collapse. Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy had previously contributed a wicket each.
Kuldeep Yadav’s historic 4-fer turns UAE match into a damp squib for IND
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 Yadav’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 Yadav has 52 wickets outside India in T20Is, with Arshdeep Singh leading the list at 71. The next five in the list are as follows :
Most wickets for India in T20Is (outside India)
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 Yadav 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. Amazed with his bowling spell, Former Indian speedster Irfan Pathan was in all praise of India’s Chinaman for his stupendous spell.
Kuldeep Yadav doesn’t seem rusty- Irfan Pathan
Former Indian All-rounder Irfan Pathan shoered praise on Kuldeep Yadav following his match-winning spell in the Asia Cup 2025 clash against the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The game was played on Wednesday, September 10 , at the Dubai International Cricket stadium.
Playing his first match for India after half a year, Kuldeep Yadav sent a rousing message to his detractors: he is India’s No. 1 spinner, and leave him out at your own peril. In the news recently for his treatment in the Test series against England—where he did not play a single game—Kuldeep Yadav ripped through the UAE batting order to set the stage for India’s nine-wicket win without breaking a sweat.
He and Shivam Dube shared seven wickets between them, but it was the wrist-spinner’s figures of 4 for 7 that really knocked the stuffing out of the hosts. Three of those four wickets came in one over. India would have steamrolled the UAE anyway, but Kuldeep made it quicker and easier.
It was, in many ways, a pity that Kuldeep Yadav’s special night in India colours had to come against the hapless UAE. But it wasn’t about the quality of opposition—it was about his long wait, and the rejection he felt during the entire Test series in England that made this night special.
His last international match had come in March this year, a 50-over game against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final. His last wicket in the T20I format dates back to June 27, 2024, against England at home. On Wednesday, in one over of tease and torment, he grabbed three—striking on the first, fourth, and sixth ball—to wrap up the game. He found UAE at 47 for 2, left them teetering at 50 for 5, and came back later to finish them off at 57 all out.
Introduced after the Powerplay, Kuldeep Yadav bowled a flighted delivery first up. Rahul Chopra went for a big hit but failed to get the distance. Shubman Gill moved to his right to complete the catch. On the fourth ball of the same over, Muhammad Waseem was trapped LBW, and on the last delivery, Harshit Kaushik was bowled. Returning in the 14th over, he removed Haider Ali to close the innings. He finished with exceptional figures of 4/7 in just 2.1 overs, at an economy rate of 3.23.
Kuldeep Yadav’s return turned into a blockbuster for the sparse Dubai crowd that braved the draining heat and humidity. For India, it gift-wrapped the most facile of nine-wicket victories.
All this—the waiting, the adjustment of both mind and method—has liberated Kuldeep Yadav and elevated his bowling to a level where batsmen now dread him. He showed why he needs to play every game in this format, not only because he is the trickiest but also because he is the meanest and most evolved. He has found the true essence of his craft, giving perfection to India’s already intimidating bowling cartel.
Following Kuldeep Yadav’s heroics with the ball and India’s commanding victory , Irfan Pathan shared a video on his Youtube channel , praising Kuldeep Yadav for his spell and noting that he showed no signs of rust despite not having played a match in the past few months . Irfan Pathan said :
“Kuldeep Yadav got a chance to play after a long time. When he came to bowl, it didn’t feel at all like this player hadn’t played a single match in England. He doesn’t seem rusty. There was absolutely no rust visible in his bowling. He is that kind of quality bowler.”
“You know, he looked sharp, and especially on grassy pitches, he becomes even more dangerous because he gets more purchase off the pitch, and then he can make the ball turn anywhere. He can even make it turn on glassy surfaces. He is that kind of bowler. The batters also found it very difficult to pick his googly,” he added.
Kuldeep Yadav was rewarded Player of the Match for his match winning performance and Kuldeep Yadav doesn’t complain, doesn’t throw tantrums, but whenever he gets the ball, he delivers. Against the UAE, it may have looked routine, yet every wicket, every subtle drift, was a quiet statement. India’s spinner has waited, observed, and refined, letting the ball do the talking. Nights like these-when he crafts a spectacle out of spin, cunning, and control-are no longer rare. They are Kuldeep Yadav nights, nights when every batsman feels he is ready to pounce.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Kuldeep Yadav & Co Bamboozle UAE