Asia Cup 2025: 'Can he bowl six yorkers in an over?' - Irfan Pathan on Hardik Pandya's death-bowling capabilities

Published - 11 Sept 2025, 14:01 IST | Updated - 11 Sept 2025, 14:27 IST

India began their Asia Cup 2025 campaign with a dominating nine-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates in Dubai. However, the Men in Blue left out star pacer Arshdeep Singh from the playing XI. Arshdeep, India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is and widely known as one of the best death bowlers in the world, was left out of the XI. Instead, India went with just one frontline pacer in Jasprit Bumrah, supported by Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube.

While this combination worked well against the UAE’s inexperienced batting order, former all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes it may not hold up against stronger opposition later in the tournament. Hardik opened the bowling for India and completed just one over, conceding 10 runs. However, Pathan questioned how India could end up missing Arshdeep in pressure scenarios, and Hardik can do justice to the role of a death-bowling option.

"Arshdeep is the highest wicket-taker in T20Is. IF he doesn't play, it does raise eyebrows. Understandably, he didn't play in England (Test), but not playing here raises a scenario in my mind that when there will be a knock-out situation, Bumrah will bowl from one end, and definitely he will, cause he is the best bowler we have. However, from the other end, if spinners come in, it's fine because you play with three spinners cause you will try the impact of spin continues till the 15th to 16th over. But if there comes a situation when the ball is tough to grip cause of dew, then it becomes tough.

This is so because, if you play only two pacers, obviously, you will count Shivam Dube, who gives you a fast-bowling option. But in tough times, you will choose Hardik Pandya over Dube. But is Hardik's strength a yorker? Can he bowl six yorkers in an over? His strength is mainly bowling into the pitch, bouncer, and bowling hard length. And if the game is stuck in that situation, what will be the way out? It will be great to see. Obviously, if you are playing on a big ground, you can still use bouncers; however, if we talk about a yorker, then you will miss Arshdeep. We saw him in the T20 World Cup, in IPL, and in other T20Is, showing that he can execute six yorkers in an over to perfection. So he will definitely be missed either today or tomorrow, cause only two fast bowlers will be playing," Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

Irfan Pathan's perfect on-air prediction about Bumrah

Meanwhile, in the game, Kuldeep Yadav (4/7) and Shivam Dube (3/4) ran through the UAE’s batting order, dismissing them for just 57 in 13.1 overs. Bumrah also delivered a pinpoint yorker to pick the first wicket. The chase was completed in just 4.3 overs, with Abhishek Sharma smashing 30 off 16 balls and Shubman Gill adding an unbeaten 20.