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India's Kuldeep Yadav, second right, celebrate the wicket of United Arab Emirates's Rahul Chopra during the Asia Cup Cricket match between United Arab Emirates and India at Dubai International Cricket stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Sanjay Manjrekar posted a tongue in cheek remark during the ongoing India vs UAE Asia Cup match where spinner Kuldeep Yadav snapped up 3 wickets in 2 overs. “Kuldeep has 3 in one over. May not play the next game now. 😉,” Manjrekar posted with a winking emoji. Kuldeep accounted for the wickets of UAE captain Muhammad Waseem, wicketkeeper Rahul Chopra and Harshit Kaushik.
Manjrekar was likely taking a dig at the fact that Yadav hadn’t been selected for even one match in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy a couple of months ago in a series that India drew 2-2 with England under the stewardship of new captain Shubman Gill.
Ahead of the Asia Cup, Yadav had not featured in the 19 games India had stacked since lifting the T20 World Cup in Barbados last year, even though an ill-timed injury did little favours. Only in the 50-overs is he a non-negotiable. But with the T20 World Cup defence at home on the horizon, he soared back into the selectors’ consciousness and was picked for the Asia Cup.
Kuldeep has 3 in one over. May not play the next game now. 😉
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) September 10, 2025
Yadav is among the finest all-format bowlers in the world. He had added deeper layers into his bowling—a better control of everything, from pace to variations, a deeper understanding of the batsman’s mind as well as his own, and a resolve to reinvent and make the best of his remaining years.
In the match on Wednesday, India opted to bowl against United Arab Emirates in their opening match of the Asia Cup. The game marks the return of Gill to T20Is and he will open alongside his Punjab teammate Abhishek Sharma.
As per the team sheet, captain Suryakumar Yadav is expected to come in at No 3 ahead of Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson, who are slated to bat Nos 4 and 5 respectively.
India are going in with one specialist pacer in Jasprit Bumrah while the other fast bowling option is Hardik Pandya. Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy are the two frontline spinners in the playing eleven.
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