Pakistan batters surrendered to Kuldeep Yadav's spin wizardry during their Champions Trophy 2025 clash at the Dubai International stadium on February 23, Sunday. Riding on his sensational show with the ball, Kuldeep Yadav, who returned with a brilliant bowling figures of 3/40 during clash against Pakistan, achieved a sensational milestone to join an elite list of Indian spinners.
Kuldeep Yadav joins elite list with 300th international wicket
Kuldeep apparently became the fifth Indian spinner, alongside Anil Kumble, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja, to reach the landmark of 300 international wickets. His 300th prey was Pakistani batsman Salman Ali Agha when Kuldeep sent the marching orders to him in the 43rd over.
Agha's attempt to loft the ball resulted in a poorly executed shot, leading to an easy catch for Ravindra Jadeja. Agha's innings was brief and boundary-less, spanning 24 deliveries. Kuldeep's achievement places him as the 13th Indian bowler overall to reach 300 international wickets. His current tally includes 56 wickets in 13 Test matches, 175 wickets in 110 ODIs, and 69 wickets in 40 T20Is.
Indian spinners with most wickets in international cricket:
Anil Kumble: 953
Ravichandran Ashwin: 765
Harbhajan Singh: 707
Ravindra Jadeja: 604
Kuldeep Yadav: 300*
The 30-year-old has a decent track record against Pakistan in ODIs. Across seven encounters, he has secured 13 wickets, including a notable five-wicket haul. His most recent standout performance against Pakistan occurred during the Asia Cup 2023 match in Colombo, where he claimed five wickets for 25 runs in eight overs, showcasing his effectiveness against their batting lineup.
With his current form, Kuldeep Yadav has the opportunity to surpass Irfan Pathan's record of 301 international wickets for India. Irfan Pathan achieved this total in 173 matches across all formats. However, the overall record for the most international wickets by an Indian bowler remains with Anil Kumble. The former Indian Test captain concluded his career with an impressive 953 wickets, comprising 619 wickets in Test matches and 334 wickets in ODIs.
Talking about the match, batting first Pakistan batting faltered as India's clinical bowling display folded the hosts for a modest total of 241 despite Saud Shakeel's gritty 62 off 76.
India's playing XI:
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav.
Pakistan's playing XI:
Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(wk/captain), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.