Ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah might take a rest for this match and thus make way for one of Arshdeep Singh or Harshit Rana. Arshdeep, India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, has not been a part of the Indian XI in the Asia Cup 2025 yet.
Having won both the first two games against Hong Kong and Pakistan comfortably, Indian batters have not been tested to their full potential yet, which might result in an unchanged batting order.
Asia Cup|‘Who told you I am happy with my bowling?’: Kuldeep Yadav drops insights on his art
India’s Kuldeep Yadav reacts after bowling a delivery during the Asia Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Holding the microphone, Kuldeep grinned and sound-checked: “Ready 1,2,3… ” And smiled impishly, reflecting his buoyant mood in the tournament. Two games, seven wickets; average of 3.57; economy rate of 4.05, a wicket every fifth ball; man of the match in both of India’s games in the tournament. After the two-month-long dressing-room suffocation, the hot and humid Dubai has been like a breath of fresh air for him.
But a harsh self-critic, he quipped when asked whether he felt he was bowling at the peak of his T20 prowess. “Who told you I am happy with my bowling?” he asked, before he dwelled on the pitfalls of self-contentment. I don’t feel that I am bowling that well, I feel that I can improve and become better. I keep making chotti chotti mistakes. I feel I can become better because sometimes you make a mistake in reading the batsman in this format. The margin for error is too little. When you are at the top of the game and you make small mistakes, you don’t notice it, but you feel that you have made a mistake.”
