Last Update on: August 8th, 2023 at 10:02 pm
The 28-year-old left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav has become the fastest Indian in the history of T20I cricket to complete 50 wickets. He achieved the remarkable milestone during the third T20I of the five-match series against the West Indies National Cricket Team at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Tuesday, August 08.
Kuldeep Yadav returned to the Indian playing XI after missing the second T20I due to a sore left thumb. He once again looked exceptional with the ball and opened his account by dismissing Johnson Charles in the 11th over for 12.
Kuldeep next picked the wicket of the dangerous in-form batter Nicholas Pooran for 20 on the first ball of the 15th over. In the same over, Brandon King became the left-arm wrist-spinner’s third wicket as Kuldeep Yadav pulled off a sharp caugh&bowled to send back the West Indies opener, who scored a run-a-ball 42.
In his 4-over spell, Kuldeep gave away just 28 runs and bagged 3 wickets to restrict the home side to 159/5 in the first innings.
Kuldeep Yadav Breaks Yuzvendra Chahal’s Record
As Kuldeep dismissed Brandon King, he completed 50 wickets in T20I cricket. He reached the milestone in just 30 T20I matches. He broke his spin-bowling partner Yuzvendra Chahal’s record and became the fastest Indian to complete 50 T20I wickets. Overall, he is the second fastest spinner to the milestone, only behind Ajantha Mendis, who achieved the feat in 26 games.
Fastest Indian to 50 T20I wickets in terms of matches:
Kuldeep Yadav – 30
Yuzvendra Chahal – 34
Jasprit Bumrah – 41
Ravichandran Ashwin – 42
Fastest spinner to 50 T20I wickets – Full member nation in terms of matches.
Ajantha Mendis (SL) – 26
Kuldeep Yadav (IND) – 30
Imran Tahir (SA) – 31
Rashid Khan (AFG) – 31
Wanindu Hasaranga (SL) – 32
Fewest balls to 50 T20I wickets (Full Member sides)
600 Ajanta Mendis
620 Mark Adair
624 Lungi Ngidi
638 Kuldeep Yadav
Overall, Kuldeep has bagged 50 wickets in 30 T20Is at an average of 14.28, an economy of 6.70, and a strike rate of 12.7, with the best bowling figures of 5/24.
