Kuldeep Yadav. (Photo Source: RANDY BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)
After falling short in the first two T20Is against the West Indies, India made a stunning comeback in the third encounter which was contested at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on August 8. Hardik Pandya and Co. beat the hosts by seven wickets thanks to Kuldeep Yadav’s excellent bowling spell and Suryakumar Yadav’s brutal knock.
Losing the toss and bowling first, Kuldeep Yadav bagged a three-wicket haul as India restricted West Indies by 158/5. The 28-year-old finished with excellent figures of 3/28 in his four-over spell. Meanwhile, Suryakumar, the number one T20I batter, spearheaded India’s charge during the chase, scoring 83 off 44.
When many praised Suryakumar for the win, legendary India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar emphasized Kuldeep’s efforts, claiming the veteran is the match-winner according to him. “Surya was brilliant again but Kuldeep the real match winner for me. Restricting WI to 159 by taking 3 top order wickets including that of Pooran. Well done Kuldeep!” the 58-year-old tweeted.
See Sanjay Manjrekar’s Twitter post:
Surya was brilliant again but Kuldeep the real match winner for me. Restricting WI to 159 by taking 3 top order wickets including that of Pooran. Well done Kuldeep! 👏👏👏
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) August 9, 2023
Kuldeep becomes fastest Indian to pick 50 T20I wickets
Kuldeep added a new feather to his cap by becoming the fastest Indian to take 50 wickets in the T20I format by the number of matches played. The veteran spinner achieved the feat during the third T20I of the ongoing five-game series in the West Indies.
He reached the milestone in his 30th T20I match for the Men in Blue, surpassing the record of fellow teammate and the leading wicket-taker in T20Is Yuzvendra Chahal, who had picked up 50 wickets in 34 matches.
Kuldeep’s 50th T20I wicket was West Indies opener Brandon King, who was caught and bowled for 42 in the 15th over of the first innings. In the contest, the 28-year-old also took the wickets of Johnson Charles and the dangerous Nicholas Pooran.
For the uninitiated, Dhruvkumar Maisuria of Botswana is the quickest to reach 50 T20I wickets in 22 matches, while Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis holds the record for picking 50 wickets in 26 T20Is, among ICC Full-Member nations.