Team India had a fantastic run in the recent Asia Cup, winning their eighth title by defeating Sri Lanka in the final by a commanding 10-wicket margin. Mohammed Siraj was instrumental in India’s victory over the co-hosts in Colombo, significantly altering the trend in India’s favour.
Notably, Team India’s domination was not restricted to the final; they also demonstrated it in the Super Fours stage. India started the Super Fours with a 228-run victory over Pakistan, followed by a successful defence of a modest score of 213 against Sri Lanka.
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul’s unbroken hundreds against Pakistan set the tone, overshadowing another brilliant individual performance by Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep grabbed a five-wicket haul in the same game, helping Pakistan be dismissed for 128 in 32 overs. Kuldeep’s outstanding performance continued in the following match against Sri Lanka, which India won by 41 runs. Despite missing out on consecutive five-wicket hauls in this match, Kuldeep’s efforts helped India restrict Sri Lanka to 172 while chasing a goal of 214.
Kuldeep’s strong achievements at the Asia Cup earned him the Player of the Series award, positioning him as an important player for India as the World Cup approaches.
It’s worth mentioning, however, that Kuldeep failed to gain a spot in both the Indian national team and his old IPL squad, the Kolkata Knight Riders, a few years ago. His fortunes altered after resuming his career with the Delhi Capitals. Ajit Agarkar, BCCI top selector and former assistant coach of the Delhi Capitals who worked closely with Kuldeep, now considers him India’s “trump card.”
Agarkar expressed confidence in Kuldeep’s particular skill set and emphasised the necessity of exhibiting faith in a player when speaking about his career. He stated that Kuldeep is a difficult prospect for most teams, and everyone is looking forward to his future contributions.
In other news, Kuldeep has been rested, along with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Hardik Pandya, for the first two matches of the forthcoming three-match series against Australia, which begins on September 22. In Rohit Sharma’s absence, KL Rahul will lead the team.
