Kuldeep Yadav Achieves Massive Milestone With Five-for In 3rd T20I, Becoming First Indian Spinner To Do So

Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav delivered a commanding performance in the third and final T20I of the series against South Africa. Kuldeep achieved a remarkable milestone with an exceptional spell, becoming the first Indian bowler to accomplish such a feat in T20Is.

The Men in Blue secured a convincing 106-run victory over the Proteas at New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Thursday, December 14. India posted a formidable total of 201/7 in their allocated 20 overs. In reply, the hosts were bowled out for 95 runs in 13.5 overs.

Kuldeep Yadav Becomes First Indian Spinner To Take Two Five-Fors

Kuldeep Yadav claimed five wickets for just 17 runs in 2.5 overs, dismissing key batters like David Miller and Donovan Ferreira. It marked his second five-wicket haul in T20Is, placing him at the top alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the Indian team in the shorter format.

The 29-year-old became the first Indian spinner to secure two five-wicket hauls in T20Is. The left-arm wrist spinner’s previous five-wicket haul occurred against England in 2018, when he dismissed five English batters for 24 runs in four overs at Old Trafford in Manchester.

Five-fors For India In Men’s T20Is

6/7 – Deepak Chahar vs Bangladesh, Nagpur, 2019

6/25 – Yuzvendra Chahal vs England, Bengaluru, 2017

5/4 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Afghanistan, Dubai, 2022

5/17 – Kuldeep Yadav vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 2023

5/24 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 2018

5/24 – Kuldeep Yadav vs England, Manchester, 2018

Kuldeep picked up one wicket in the second T20I against South Africa. He picked up a total of 14 wickets in nine T20Is in 2023. The spin bowler’s impressive form continued from the recently concluded ODI World Cup, where he excelled with 15 wickets in 11 matches.

The chinaman spinner will be next seen in action during the upcoming three-match ODI series, which is scheduled to commence on Sunday, December 17 in Johannesburg. Yadav is expected to pair with his KulCha partner, Yuzvendra Chahal, in the 50-over format.

ODI squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Tilak Varma, Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (C & wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar.

Also read: Zaheer Khan, Parthiv Patel Call For Ravi Bishnoi’s Selection Over Kuldeep Yadav In SA T20Is