Top 3 Indian bowlers with most T20I wickets against Asian sides
Team India are all set to defend their title in the upcoming Asia Cup. The multi-nation tournament is set to return after a hiatus of four years with six of Asia's best sides locking horns with each other. The Men in Blue head into the tournament as hot favorites with a record seven Asia Cup titles to their name.
The tournament is scheduled to be hosted by the UAE, with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan squaring off in the tournament opener on August 27. However, the clash that is set to grab all the headlines will be between India and Pakistan, who will square off in Dubai on August 28.
The Men in Blue squad, comprising a mix of experienced and young players, landed in Dubai yesterday (August 24) ahead of the commencement of the high-octane tournament.
While India have one of the strongest squads in the competition, they will be without their premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah and T20 specialist Harshal Patel. With the absence of two canny pacers, other bowlers will need to step up and stake their claim against the mighty Asian units.
Ahead of the Asia Cup 2022, we take a look at the top three Indian bowlers who have a great record against Asian teams and have taken the most wickets against them.
#3 Ashish Nehra - 18 wickets
A lanky pacer brought up in Delhi, Ashish Nehra possessed all the traits of a genuine left-arm pacer. Having made his international debut in 1999, Nehra became one of the most promising new-ball bowlers in the world, but failed to establish himself as injuries and inconsistency kept pulling him down.
For a bowler who had 12 surgeries, it was always difficult to motivate himself to return. However, Nehra made several comebacks to the team and called time on his career after a T20I series against New Zealand in 2017.
Having played no more than 27 T20Is, Nehra is still the Men in Blue's leading pacer in terms of T20I scalps against Asian teams. The left-armer took 18 out of his 34 T20I wickets against his neighboring countries.
The two pacers who have a fair chance of surpassing Nehra's record are Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik Pandya, both of whom are currently sitting on 17 T20I scalps against Asian sides.
#2 Ravichandran Ashwin - 26 wickets
The other veteran on the list is Ravichandran Ashwin, who has as many as 26 scalps in 17 T20Is against Asian units at an excellent average of 14.7.
The off-spinner has been an incredible contributor to Indian cricket across formats. While he is considered one of India's greatest red-ball spinners of all time, Ashwin even has 215 white-ball scalps to his name.
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Ashwin, India's fourth-highest T20I wicket-taker, is currently in Dubai as part of the squad for the Asia Cup. With four spinners to choose from, it would be interesting to see whether Ashwin will get game time in the upcoming event.
#1 Yuzvendra Chahal - 26 wickets
At number one is the wily leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal with 26 wickets in 15 T20Is at a phenomenal average of 13.3 against Asian units.
Interestingly, amongst Asian sides, Chahal has only played T20Is against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The Haryana cricketer has taken nine T20I wickets against Bangladesh and 17 against Sri Lanka.
The Asia Cup 2022 will provide Chahal with a golden opportunity to increase his tally by competing against the likes of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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Being the Men in Blue's highest T20I wicket-taker, with 79 scalps in 62 matches, Chahal will be a vital cog in the wheel for India during the Asia Cup 2022. The experienced tweaker is considered one of India's prime wicket-takers and will hold the key, especially during the middle overs.