One of the stars for India in their recent triumph against arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final was the left-arm wrist spinner, Kuldeep Yadav.
His coach has now revealed the secret behind Kuldeep’s inspired performance.
Speaking to the Times of India, Kapil Dev, Kuldeep’s childhood coach, said, “Pakistan ko dekhte hi uska khoon khaulta hai. Pakistan ne baccke aur nausikhiyon ki team bheji thi iss baar.” (His blood boils seeing Pakistan. This time, Pakistan sent a team of kids and amateurs this time).
He also framed Kuldeep’s method as military-grade discipline drilled in from junior days. “I told Kuldeep, ‘Your coach is a soldier. Discipline is in my blood. Play with discipline. You must not lose to Pakistan.’ Kuldeep always remembers this,” Dev added.
Notably, Kuldeep Yadav was a part of the squad that travelled to England for the five Tests. However, the spinner did not get a lot of chances to display his skills during the series. Speaking on the bowler’s mental state due to the lack of action, Dev said, “After the England tour, he was sitting there hungry. I was the one who had kept his anger in control.”
The spell that sealed India’s title
The ‘soldier’s discipline’ synced perfectly with the stage on the night of the Asia Cup 2025 final. During the match, Kuldeep returned 4/30, picking up the wickets of Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi, and Faheem Ashraf. The wrist spinner’s magic was one of the prime reasons that, despite a strong start, Pakistan were bundled out for just 146 runs.
However, it was not just about a night. Kuldeep Yadav was the star of India’s bowling throughout the tournament. He finished the campaign with 17 wickets from seven matches at an average of 9.29, while keeping an economy of around 6.27. The ‘play with discipline’ actually looks like the bowler’s operating procedure.
Kuldeep Yadav’s edge over Pakistan
Kuldeep Yadav’s numbers against Pakistan mirror the claims of his childhood coach. He has troubled them in both ODIs and T20Is. In the 50-over format, Kuldeep has bowled in six innings against Pakistan, picking up 15 wickets at an average of 14 while having an economy of less than four runs per over. In the shortest format, he has played only three matches and has picked up eight wickets in them, averaging 9.87 with an economy rate of 6.58.
The stats reveal that the Pakistan batters have struggled to read the bowler. Also, the claims of the coach that he gets more motivation and brings out inspired performances against the arch-rivals are proven.