Asia Cup: Gavaskar backs THIS Indian star to shine as India face Sri Lanka in final
Sunil Gavaskar praises Kuldeep Yadav's performance in the Asia Cup and believes he can make a difference in the final against Sri Lanka.
PremiumLegendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has offered praise to a standout Indian player, expressing confidence in their ability to have a significant impact during the Asia Cup 2023 final, where Team India, with a remarkable track record, is set to face Sri Lanka.
As the hosts of the upcoming World Cup, India is determined to break their streak of not securing any major trophies since 2018.
The much-anticipated showdown against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final on Sunday is seen as an opportunity to change this narrative. Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, Team India has encountered challenges in clinching titles in international multi-nation tournaments over the past few years.
The Indian cricket team, having won the World Cup twice, most recently securing the continental title in the 2018 edition of the tournament, is gearing up for a crucial match against the defending champions. However, their preparations have been marred by an unfortunate injury setback as Axar Patel, a valuable bowling all-rounder, has been ruled out of the Asia Cup 2023 final due to a hamstring injury. In Axar Patel's absence, the responsibility of leading the spin-bowling attack for the Men In Blue will fall to the in-form Kuldeep Yadav.
In an interview with India Today prior to the Asia Cup final, the batting icon Gavaskar commended Kuldeep for his outstanding performance as the primary wicket-taker in the continental tournament.
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“Kuldeep has shown that he can make a difference. Wrist spin, whether it is right-arm of left-arm, can get you wickets. And wickets are the best dot balls in limited-overs cricket. Also, the fact that he is bowling a little flatter, not giving that much air, getting the ball to spin, makes him difficult to play," Gavaskar was quoted as saying on the eve of the Asia Cup final.
Kuldeep Yadav, who has emerged as India's top wicket-taker in the Asia Cup 2023, has managed to secure an impressive tally of 9 wickets across four matches in the tournament.
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His standout performance included a remarkable five-wicket haul during India's commanding victory over Pakistan. Additionally, in a thrilling Super 4 match between India and Sri Lanka, the 29-year-old spinner claimed four crucial wickets. It's worth noting that during the previous encounter between India and Sri Lanka in the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup 2023, the young talent Danith Wellalage caused a significant batting collapse for the Men In Blue.
“I think they would try and get to the pitch of the ball as quickly as possible. It’s not an easy wicket to always toss the ball up. But every time he gives the ball a little bit of air, drive him with quick footwork. Unless the pitch is flat and there is not much turn, don’t look to loft him. Make him think," Gavaskar added.
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