Kuldeep Yadav Achieves 300 International Wickets, Says Coach
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Synopsis
Kuldeep Yadav made history by becoming the fifth Indian spinner to achieve 300 international wickets during the ICC Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan, as praised by his childhood coach Kapil Dev Pandey.
Key Takeaways
- Kuldeep Yadav reaches 300 international wickets.
- Commended by childhood coach Kapil Dev Pandey.
- Joins legendary spinners like Anil Kumble and Ravichandran Ashwin.
- Strong performance against Pakistan, including 5-25 in the Asia Cup.
- Hardik Pandya also claimed his 200th international wicket.
Dubai, Feb 23 (NationPress) Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav made history on Sunday by becoming the fifth Indian spinner to achieve 300 international wickets during the ICC Champions Trophy Group A match against Pakistan at Dubai International Stadium.
Kuldeep's childhood coach Kapil Dev Pandey commended him for this remarkable feat, stating that Kuldeep is indeed a match-winner.
"His bowling was exceptional. I spoke to him yesterday and encouraged him to bowl with freedom. Shaheen Afridi was left bewildered by his performance. I am incredibly proud of him; he is a match-winner," stated Kuldeep's coach, Kapil Dev Pandey, to IANS.
The 30-year-old from Kanpur joins the illustrious company of legendary spinners such as Anil Kumble, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, and Ravindra Jadeja.
Kuldeep reached this milestone by dismissing Salman Ali Agha in the 43rd over, with the batter misplaying a shot that was caught by Ravindra Jadeja. Agha faced 24 deliveries without hitting a boundary before his exit. Kuldeep then took out Shaheen Shah Afridi on the next ball, followed by Naseem Shah, ending the match with impressive figures of 3-40 in nine overs.
This accomplishment makes Kuldeep the 13th Indian bowler to achieve 300 wickets across all formats, with a tally of 56 wickets in 13 Tests, 175 wickets in 110 ODIs, and 69 wickets in 40 T20Is.
He also has a notable record against Pakistan, having taken 13 wickets in seven ODIs, including a match-winning performance of 5-25 in the Asia Cup 2023 at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.
The overall record for the most wickets by an Indian in international cricket is held by Anil Kumble with 953 wickets.
Additionally, Hardik Pandya reached a significant personal milestone in the same match, becoming the latest Indian bowler to achieve 200 international wickets. The 31-year-old from Baroda dismissed Babar Azam (23 off 26 balls) on the second ball of the ninth over and later took down Saud Shakeel in the 35th over.
Hardik contributed 2-31 to help India bowl out Pakistan for 241 in this thrilling encounter.
In this match, star batter Virat Kohli surpassed Mohammad Azharuddin to become the holder of the record for the most catches as a fielder for India in ODIs with 157 catches. Azharuddin (156), Sachin Tendulkar (140), Rahul Dravid (124), and Suresh Raina (102) are also notable on this list.
