Kuldeep wins 'impact player of the series' award

Virat Kohli amassed a total of 302 runs, and Rohit Sharma scored 146 runs with the help of two half-centuries in the recently concluded three-match ODI series between India and South Africa. But they both

lost the race to win India’s Impact Player Of The Series award in the dressing room. Instead, India’s coaching staff picked 30-year-old Kuldeep Yadav for the top prize, which has become increasingly popular between Indian players in the changing room.

Kuldeep, like Rohit and Kohli, was also one of the top performers for India in the home series. The Kanpur-based cricketer played all three matches and picked up nine wickets. He finished with figures of 4/68 in the series opener at Ranchi’s JSCA Stadium and dismissed four batters for 41 runs in the third ODI played in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, December 6.

In the second ODI, where South Africa chased down the target of 359 runs, Kuldeep picked up one wicket.

The BCCI shared the video of assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate giving the Impact Player Of The Series award to Kuldeep on Sunday.

Here’s a look:

🗣️🗣️ In a series where the bat dominated, he showed his class with the ball 👌

Presenting the ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????? ???????????? ???????????????????????? – ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????? 🏅

🔽 Watch | #TeamIndia | #INDvSA | @imkuldeep18 | @IDFCFIRSTBank https://t.co/UiT35NFZsN

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 7, 2025

After finishing as the highest wicket-taker in the ODI series and taking his tally of wickets to 191 in the 50-over format of the game, Kuldeep will play the five-match T20I series against the Proteas now.

In the series starting Tuesday (December 9) in Cuttack, Kuldeep will have a chance to complete 100 wickets in T20Is. As of now, he has 88 wickets to his credit in 49 T20Is. If Kuldeep, who dismissed 17 batters in the Asia Cup 2025, manages to take 12 wickets in the India-South Africa series, then he will break Arshdeep Singh’s record of being the fastest Indian bowler to take 100 wickets in T20Is.

Arshdeep, who is the only Indian bowler so far to join the 100-wicket club in T20Is, needed 64 matches to complete 100 dismissals.

If Kuldeep dismisses at least 12 batters in three T20Is, then will he break Rashid Khan’s world record of being the fastest bowler in the world to take 100 wickets in T20Is.

Rashid, who is the highest wicket-taker in T20Is, picked up his 100th T20I wicket in the 53rd match.