'May not play the next game now': Sanjay Manjrekar takes cheeky dig after Kuldeep Yadav's match-winning spell

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar had some fun on social media during India’s Asia Cup 2025 opener against the UAE on Wednesday, September 10. India crushed the hosts by 9 wickets to start their Asia Cup campaign on a positive note. Kuldeep Yadav was the star for India as he picked up four wickets for just seven runs and was named the Player of the Match.

As Kuldeep Yadav destroyed the UAE batting by taking three wickets in one over, Manjrekar took to social media to make a hilarious comment. He cheekily wrote, “Kuldeep has 3 in one over. May not play the next game now.” The comment was clearly a dig at the Indian team management, given how often Kuldeep is benched despite showcasing his talent across formats.

Kuldeep didn’t get a single game in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test series in England. Before the Asia Cup, Kuldeep had not played in India’s last 19 T20Is. His last appearance for India was in the T20 World Cup final win against South Africa in 2024. Kuldeep himself spoke about that phase after the UAE game when Manjrekar asked him about his regular absence.

Kuldeep on his continuous absence

“There is one thing I have noticed over the last few years, which is that you don’t play each and every game for India, and there are these gaps that you have. But when you come back, you put in these kinds of performances. It’s always back to your very best. How do you make that up? Manjrekar asked.

“It was tough for me. Was working on my bowling and my fitness as well with the coach, and everything is going perfectly,” Kuldeep replied after winning the POTM award for his match figures of 4/7.

Thanks to Kuldeep’s bowling masterclass, India bowled out the UAE for just 57 runs in 13.1 overs. Shivam Dube also contributed with three wickets for four runs. India then chased down the target in only 4.3 overs, winning by nine wickets. Abhishek Sharma smashed 30 off 16 balls, while Shubman Gill remained unbeaten on 20, and captain Suryakumar Yadav hit a quickfire seven.