Kuldeep Yadav's 3/18 won him the Player of the Match award.
Kuldeep emerged as the standout bowler, claiming 3/18, while keeping the pressure on Pakistan’s batters with his deceptive wrist spin.
“It’s just the way he bowls. They can’t read him. In the pre-show, I was talking to Sunny Bhai, who was a great batter. He said, ‘Unless and until you can read him from the hand, you won’t be able to understand that type of bowling.’ So that’s what happened. When they sweep against Kuldeep every second ball, it means you are not reading him,” Akram said on Sony Sports.
Pakistani batters played out 63 dot balls in their innings, leaving Akram disappointed with their batting. He singled out Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, and skipper Salman Ali Agha for not countering the Indian spin threat properly.
“Pakistan played 63 dot balls in their innings—that’s just over 10 overs of dots. Credit to the Indian bowlers. It’s sad to see players like Hasan Nawaz, Haris, and our captain; they are talented players. But you need to pick your bowlers and read the situation. They were all chasing a strike rate of 150,” Akram added.
India chased down the 128-run target with ease as Abhishek Sharma gave a flying start with a 13-ball 31. Suryakumar Yadav then made 47*, and Tilak Varma made 31 runs as India won by 7 wickets.