Hardik Pandya opened the bowling attack for India in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 match against Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium and picked up a wicket on the first legitimate ball of the match.
He dismissed Saim Ayub, who was caught by Jasprit Bumrah for a golden duck.
Before Hardik, only Arshdeep Singh had managed to take a wicket on the first legitimate ball of a T20I match for Team India. The left-arm pacer achieved the feat during the India-USA 2024 T20 World Cup match played in New York.
Indian bowlers picking a wicket off the first legitimate ball of a T20I
- Arshdeep Singh vs USA New York 2024 (Shayan Jahangir)
- Hardik Pandya vs Pak Dubai 2025 (Saim Ayub)
Saim, who is one of the most promising young talents, had failed to open his account in the last match as well. In that fixture too, he got out for a golden duck.
After taking Saim’s wicket, Hardik completed Mohammad Haris’ catch on the second ball of the second over of the match, which was bowled by Bumrah.
Haris, who scored a half-century for Men in Green in the last match against Oman, attempted to play a big shot against the legendary Indian pacer but failed to get the desired result.
On the fourth ball of the second over of the India-Pakistan match, Bumrah trapped Fakhar Zaman in front of the wickets, but the left-handed batter opted for DRS, and it saved him.
Unchanged XI for India and Pakistan
Both India and Pakistan have named unchanged XIs for the ongoing match in Dubai. For India, Bumrah is the only specialist pacer in the playing XI, and Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy are two specialist spinners, whereas Pandya, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel are three all-rounders. For Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi is the only specialist pacer, and Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz are two all-rounders. The onus of spin bowling will rest upon the shoulders of Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem.
Haris Rauf is Pakistan’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, but Pakistan team management decided to keep him on the bench and go ahead with the two specialist spinners.
