Kuldeep Yadav celebrates the wicket of Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Kuldeep Yadav revealed that his successful run in the Duleep Trophy played a crucial role in helping him regain rhythm and confidence before the Asia Cup 2025.
After warming the bench during the five-Test series in England, the star Indian spinner returned to action in the Duleep Trophy, where he emerged as the highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets at an average of 9.29. His form carried into the Asia Cup final against Pakistan in Dubai, where he produced a match-winning spell of 4/30 in four overs.
“When you don’t play cricket for long, you need rhythm. Playing the Duleep Trophy helped me a lot as I bowled plenty of overs there. So when I came into the Asia Cup, my bowling was already in good shape,” Kuldeep said in a chat with teammate Rinku Singh, shared by BCCI.
Kuldeep explained that his role was to control runs in the middle overs and pick crucial wickets—a responsibility he fulfilled with ease. Together with Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel, Kuldeep formed a lethal spin trio that dismantled opposition batting line-ups throughout the tournament.
“I don’t set fixed goals. My motivation is always to give my best whenever I bowl and contribute to the team,” Kuldeep added.
Also Read: Shoaib Malik Criticizes India Over Asia Cup Trophy Row, Backs PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi
Varun and Samson on Their Roles
Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy expressed satisfaction at successfully executing the difficult task of bowling in the powerplay and death overs. He credited head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav for trusting him with that role.
Varun also highlighted the support of Sanju Samson, calling the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter his “big pillar of strength.” Samson, in turn, spoke about absorbing pressure after India lost Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill early in the Asia Cup final chase. Partnering with Tilak Varma, Samson stabilized the innings before playing his natural game.
Meanwhile, Rinku Singh, who finished the chase with a boundary on the only ball he faced, said he has been working consistently on both his batting and fielding to contribute whenever given an opportunity.
With Kuldeep rediscovering his rhythm and India’s spinners firing in unison, the team’s confidence looks sky-high heading into upcoming tournaments.
Published – September 30, 2025 03:02 pm IST
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