Asia Cup 2022: Bhuvneshwar Kumar becomes India's leading wicket taker against Pakistan in T20Is

Rohit Sharma’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss against Pakistan in their opening fixture proved to be a masterclass for the Indian bowlers, especially Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who scalped four Pakistani wickets to become the leading wicket-taker for India against arch-rivals Pakistan in T20Is.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is spearheading the Indian pace attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, drew first blood for India, dismissing the Pakistani skipper Babar Azam cheaply. His second wicket came in the form of Asif Ali, which meant that the veteran Indian pacer overtook Irfan Pathan’s record of most wickets (6) by an Indian bowler against Pakistan in T20Is.

The 32-year-old then went to bag another two wickets, finishing with exceptional bowling figures of 4/26 in a high-pressure match. The right-arm pacer now has nine wickets to his name against Pakistan in the shortest format of the game in five appearances. The right-arm quick’s outstanding bowling figures are the best by an Indian bowler against Pakistan in T20Is.

The second most successful bowler on the list is his current team-mate Hardik Pandya, who also breached Irfan’s record by grabbing three crucial wickets in the match, boasting seven wickets in total against the eternal rivals in just three matches.

Hardik Pandya joins Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the list of leading wicket-takers against Pakistan

Hardik Pandya was touted as the most important player in the team with the balance he adds to the squad, and his performance with the ball further illustrated that point as he broke the back of the Pakistani batting line-up by grabbing three important wickets, including two in one over, in the middle overs.

The Indian team restricted Pakistan to a par score of 147 runs after brilliant performances by their bowlers, especially their seamers, who accounted for all the ten wickets in the Pakistani innings. While Bhuvneshwar and Pandya shared seven wickets between them, Arshdeep Singh grabbed two wickets, and Avesh Khan chipped in with a solitary wicket as Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja finished wicketless in their six overs.