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Asia Cup 2025: Despite Kuldeep Yadav winning ‘MOM’

Sports
By Correspondent


Dubai: It wasn’t just India’s dominant 7-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan that caught attention in the Asia Cup 2025 group stage clash – it was also the quiet brilliance of Axar Patel, who walked away with the team’s ‘Impact Player of the Match’ award for his all-round performance in the dressing room celebration.

In a game where emotions were running high and stakes even higher, Axar delivered exactly what the team needed: control, composure, and key breakthroughs.

Axar’s Game-Changing Spell

Introduced at a critical stage when Pakistan were already three down, Axar’s spin further tightened the screws. He dismissed Fakhar Zaman – who was looking dangerous and skipper Salman Agha in quick succession. His spell of 2 for 18 in four overs helped reduce Pakistan to 49/4 at the halfway mark, laying the foundation for India’s eventual dominance.

But his work wasn’t done yet.

He then pulled off a fine catch to remove Hassan Nawaz, who had just begun to settle, becoming Pakistan’s sixth wicket of the day. The effort in the field matched his accuracy with the ball, a combination that earned him praise from all corners, including a dressing-room medal presentation by India’s training assistant Nuwan Senevirathne.

Calling him “silent and effective in all three departments,” Nuwan awarded Axar the medal in a post-match video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Axar Credits Kuldeep, Recalls Tactical Shift

Post-match, Axar was full of praise for Kuldeep Yadav, who yet again delivered a standout spell of 3 for 18 in four overs.

“Donno match mein Kuldeep, Kuldeep bhai hi dikh rahe hai,” Axar joked with a grin, referring to Kuldeep’s previous Player of the Match performance against UAE.

Kuldeep, smiling back, credited his recent fitness and bowling work during India’s five-Test tour of England.

“I ticked those numbers (during the England tour while training and practising). I hoped that I got to play in Asia Cup because conditions were suitable for me. But it is also important to stay in the rhythm and execute things well,” Kuldeep said.

He also acknowledged Axar’s role in his own bowling improvements.

“There are small things, while I was bowling, you told me to give the revs on the ball, the ball is gripping and spinning. I got this in mind. I had delivered just one over and decided to give the ball some spin and get some bounce. Because of that, I got three wickets, you got two, a total of five. Credit goes to you, you bowled really well,” he added.

A Tactical Shift That Paid Off

Axar, reflecting on his bowling strategy, revealed he had tweaked his approach after observing how batters attacked him in the previous match against UAE.

“In the last match, I observed that it was easy for batters to hit me on the speed I was bowling on. So I decided to bowl more slower and give more revs to the ball,” said the experienced all-rounder, who had taken 1 for 13 in three overs in the campaign opener.

Praise for Captain Suryakumar Yadav

Axar also lauded India captain Suryakumar Yadav, not just for his leadership, but also for his measured knock in the run chase. SKY remained unbeaten on 47, anchoring the innings as India chased down 128 in just 15.5 overs.

“As a batter, I know it is difficult to hit and rotate the strike. You just cannot hit big shots from the word go. You had to take calculated risks. This is what he did. There was no wild hitting. He waited for the ball, played late. It was a mature innings,” Axar said.

Team India Finds Rhythm, Quiet Heroes Shine

While Kuldeep Yadav rightly grabbed headlines with another Player of the Match performance, the Indian camp knows just how vital Axar Patel’s contribution was. His subtle shift in pace, sharp fielding, and timely strikes helped India strangle Pakistan’s momentum, and ultimately, secure their second win of the tournament with ease.

In a team filled with stars, it’s players like Axar quiet, thoughtful, and highly effective who often prove to be the difference makers.

With India now riding high, and both spinners in red-hot form, the road to the final looks increasingly promising.




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