Kanpur, Feb 15, 2026
India spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s childhood coach Kapil Dev Pandey lauded his ward’s bowling prowess and stated that the left-arm wrist spinner doesn’t need any special advice for the much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash in the T20 World Cup, as he has enough experience under his belt.
India are thinking of bringing in Kuldeep to take advantage of Pakistan’s past vulnerability. The left-arm wrist spinner had a scintillating outing for India in the Asia Cup, dismantling Pakistan in the Asia Cup final with 4-30.
“It’s a very proud moment for both me and Kuldeep. I want Kuldeep to help Team India win the World Cup with his deadly bowling. He doesn’t need any special advice; he has been playing consistently since 2017. Our team is very strong and in great rhythm. The openers and the middle-order batters are all performing really well,” Pandey told IANS.
India skipper Suryakumar left enough hints during the pre-match presser on Saturday when asked whether Kuldeep would play against Pakistan, saying, “In the Asia Cup, the pitch was similar, and it was a big ground. We have to see what combinations worked for us then. I feel similar combinations will be played here; it’s a good headache to have.”
Meanwhile, India have a great head-to-head record over Pakistan in the T20 World Cups. Till now, the two sides have played each other eight times in the T20 World Cup, with India emerging victorious on seven occasions, while Pakistan managed to win only once (in 2021).
Moreover, India are aiming to become the first team in history to successfully defend the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title if they make it to the final and win the trophy, a feat that no men’s team has yet accomplished. So far none of the host nations have ever won the Men’s T20 World Cup, and the Men in Blue will be hoping to finally break the jinx.
“India must not take any team lightly. T20 is a format where the game can change very quickly. Our team is one of the best T20 teams, and I believe they can break records. All the players are in top form; they just need to play with patience and confidence to win,” Kapil added.(Agency)
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