Kuldeep Yadav scripts history against South Africa in third T20I

India registered a thumping win in the third and the Final T20I of the series by 106 runs. With this win, the India team successfully levelled the series to 1-1. The star of the game was Suryakumar Yadav with the bat and then Kuldeep Yadav with bowl in hand. On his 29th birthday, star spinner Kuldeep Yadav shone brightly for India in the third T20I against South Africa on December 14. In the must-win match, as Kuldeep claimed five wickets for 17 runs in 2.5 overs, playing a crucial role as India bowled out the Proteas for 95 runs in 13.5 overs. This victory marked a record margin of 106 runs for India.

Kuldeep’s performance of 5 for 17 was also his best bowling figures in T20Is for India and it ranks as the fourth-best overall by an Indian bowling in this format. By making history in the series decider, Kuldeep became the first Indian spinner to achieve two five-wicket hauls in T20Is. His initial five-wicket feat occurred against England in 2018 at Old Trafford in Manchester, where he dismissed five English batters for 24 runs in four overs on July 3, 2018.

While Yuzvendra Chahal set the record for the best bowling figures in T20Is by an Indian spinner with 6/25 runs against England in Bengaluru on February 1. But after that he hasn’t replicated this achievement to claim another five-wicket haul in T20Is.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar also has two fifers in T20I cricket

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the only Indian, apart from Kuldeep, to achieve two five-wicket hauls in T20Is. In addition to this, overall, there are only 13 bowlers who have secured five or more wickets in T20Is more than once. But none of them have managed to achieve this feat three times. With a lot of cricket left in Kuldeep fans would be hoping him to achieve this feat in times to come.

In the third T20I, Kuldeep claimed his first wicket on the final delivery of his first over and his second wicket on the last ball of the second over. Subsequently, he took his third, fourth, and fifth wickets on the first, third, and fifth deliveries of the 14th over of the South African innings. In an astonishing effort, the left arm chinaman took just 17 deliveries to claim his five wickets.