Cricket Latest News: Arriving late from Dubai after a dismal campaign at the T20 World Cup 2021, Hardik Pandya found himself in a bit of trouble with the customs department at CSMI airport in Mumbai on Sunday.

The India all-rounder has been in the news for a while, but primarily for cricketing reasons. Be it his form for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 or for the Indian team in T20 World Cup 2021, Hardik has been a huge subject of debate. But now, the 28-year-old has found himself making headlines for a personal reason.

Also Read: Top 8 run-scorers of T20 World Cup 2021

As per ar report by the Times of India, Hardik was carrying a couple of luxury watches with him, worth approximately INR 5 crore. Though the junior Pandya had declared the watches beforehand. The serial numbers that were mentioned on the invoice weren't in line with the watches that were in his possession.

Cricket Latest News: Hardik Pandya's watches could be seized

On Sunday night. Sources said he had declared these watches as pre-owned ones, but the serial numbers did not match. The new ones cost Rs 5 crore, but Pandya had declared the price as Rs 1.8 crore. In which, one costing Rs 1.4 crore and the other Rs 40 lakh.

Sources said Pandya will have to rectify the discrepancy in the invoice. However, which means he will have to submit a fresh one where the serial numbers match. These watches attract a duty of 38%. Sources said that if Pandya fails to submit enough evidence, the watches will be seized.

Read Also: Ajinkya Rahane will be leading India in the first test against New Zealand

Pandya later issued a statement clarifying that the cost of the watch is around Rs 1.5 crore and not Rs 5 crore. However, Hardik Pandya confirmed that the news was purely fake and rubbish.

He said he voluntarily declared all the items that he lawfully purchased in Dubai on arrival at the Mumbai Airport and was ready to pay the customs duty.

The mega clash between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 group stage will be played on 14 September. Looking at the tournament record, both teams have played 18 matches against each other. Out of these, India have won 10 while Pakistan have claimed 6 games. However, in the last 10 years, the rivalry has become one-sided, where Pakistan managed to win only once in seven showdowns.

So, before the much awaited clash begin, let's have a look at the bowlers with most wickets in India vs Pakistan matches in Asia Cup in both ODI and T20I formats.

Also Read: Most Runs in India vs Pakistan Matches in Asia Cup (ODI+T20I)

Most Wickets in India vs Pakistan Matches (ODI+T20I)

5. Anil Kumble | 7 Wickets

The former legendary indian leg-spinner, Anil Kumble was a master of his craft. He had a great record against Pakistan in the Asia Cup matches, taking wickets with his guile and accuracy. In 4 matches against Pakistan in Asia Cup, Kumble scalped 7 wickets at an economy rate of 4.32 and best figure of 3/43. 

4. Saeed Ajmal | 8 Wickets

Saeed Ajmal was one of the key spinners of Pakistan in the Asia Cup. Batters would struggle to score in front of him. Meanwhile, against India, Ajmal has taken 8 wickets in 4 matches at an average of 24.00 with a brilliant economy rate of 4.92.

In addition, Ajmal also played a key role in Pakistan’s win in 2012. He was one of the most reliable players on the team during the crucial matches.

3. Hardik Pandya | 8 Wickets

India’s all-rounder Hardik Pandya has balanced his batting fireworks with key bowling contributions. His 8 wickets against Pakistan in only 6 games highlight his knack for breakthroughs, often dismissing set batsmen or breaking partnerships with clever use of short balls and cutters.

Pandya’s bowling has been particularly valuable when India experimented with team balance, allowing them to play an extra batsman while still retaining bowling depth. His dual role makes him one of the most influential Asia Cup performers of recent times.

2. Kuldeep Yadav | 8 Wickets

Indian spinners have always played an integral part in the success of the Men in Blue, and Kuldeep Yadav has added to the tradition with his performances in recent years. He possesses the X-factor with his chinaman bowling and has been the tormentor-in-chief in the recent outing against Pakistan.

The 30-year-old has not played any T20I for India against Pakistan in the Asia Cup so far, but he has been part of an Asia Cup match against Pakistan in the ODI format, where he took a total of 8 wickets in 4 matches. Kuldeep possesses mystery in his bowling, and the Pakistan batters have always struggled to read his variations.

Also Read: Past results of India vs Pakistan in Asia Cup

1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 10 Wickets

Indian pace spearhead Bhuvneshwar Kumar is India's top wicket-taker against Pakistan in Asia Cup. He has taken 10 wickets in 5 matches. He ran through Pakistan's batting line-up in the Asia Cup 2022 match at the Dubai International Stadium. He registered figures worth 4/26(4) as the Pakistani innings folded on 147. 

Bhuvi has also become the first-ever bowler to take four or more wickets against Pakistan in T20 Internationals. He bowled 13 dot balls in the match. However, he is not part of the current T20I squad. 

Cricket today is almost entirely a batsman's game. Flat pitches, small boundaries and bigger bats have tilted the game heavily in favor of the batsmen. The bowlers have got nowhere to hide and, the advent of T20s, where the batsmen go after them from the first ball itself have made it even more difficult.

The T20 format has brought about a revolution where the bowlers are more than grateful to keep the run rate down, rather than to take wickets. India made a wonderful foray into the shortest format of the game, winning the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. Over the years India is blessed to have got some big hitters in their line up who are capable of clearing any boundary in the world.

In this article we will take a look at those batters with most sixes for India in T20Is.

Most Sixes for India in T20Is

5. Hardik Pandya | 95

Hardik Pandya debuted in T20I cricket in 2016 and swiftly established himself as a key member of India's preferred playing eleven, serving as a seam-bowling all-rounder. His T20I career reached its peak in 2024, marked by outstanding all-round performances during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, helping India clinch the title. In terms of batting, Pandya has struck 95 sixes across 90 T20I innings.

Pandya has been included in the Men in Blue's 15-member squad for this year's Asia Cup. If Pandya manages to hit five more maximums in the Asia Cup, then he will go on to surpass KL Rahul's tally of 99 sixes in the shortest format. This will see the all-rounder become the Indian player with the fourth-most sixes in T20Is.

Also Read: Highest Wicket Taker in Asia Cup History (ODI + T20)

4. KL Rahul | 99

KL Rahul, who was once a consistent member of the T20I squad now finds himself out of favour in the T20I setup. Between 2016 and 2022, he played in 72 T20I matches and mostly batted in the top three.

He hit 99 sixes in 68 T20I innings. Following the T20 World Cup 2022, he was excluded from the shortest format due to his outdated approach to T20 cricket, as he did not improve his intent and strike rate.

3. Virat Kohli | 124

The Run Machine Virat Kohli has hit 124 sixes in 117 T20I innings for India. He is one of the most consistent players in the Indian team, with an average of 48.69. He made his T20I debut for India in 2010 and since then he has been a cornerstone of India's batting. Kohli also recorded 4,188 runs in T20I format, which included 38 fifties. 

“King Kohli” was part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup in June 2024. After winning the trophy, Kohli announced his retirement from the format. 

2. Suryakumar Yadav | 146*

Yet another batsman who has made six-hitting look extremely easy is India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. Despite making his T20I debut in March 2021 with a match against England, the elegant middle-order batter has already launched 146 maximums in just 79 innings for Team India.

Having the ability to hit sixes at all parts of the ground with relative ease makes Yadav, a.k.a SKY, draw a comparison with South Africa’s great AB De Villiers who was called Mr. 360 in cricket. His centuries have also come against big teams like England, South Africa, and New Zealand apart from Sri Lanka. He has hit the most number of T20I sixes against West Indies (35).  

1. Rohit Sharma | 205

Former Indian T20I captain Rohit Sharma hit the most sixes for India in T20Is, having hit 205 sixes in 159 games he played. He made his debut for India in the 2007 T20 World Cup against South Africa. However, he failed to cement his place in the team. The turnaround came in the 2013 Champions Trophy when MS Dhoni promoted him up the order to open the batting with Shikhar Dhawan.

Also Read: Most matches by an Indian in international cricket

The mighty Australians have been Rohit's favourite opponent in this format against whom he has hit 29 sixes in 23 matches with Bangladesh being the second, conceding 22 sixes off his willow. Fondly called the “Hitman”, Rohit Sharma hung up his boots from T20Is after delivering the 2024 T20 World Cup title for India.   

Asia Cup 2025 will be held in UAE from 9 to 28 September. Due to T20 World Cup 2026, this time Asia Cup will also be organized in T20 format. India is being seen as the biggest contender in the Asia Cup this time.

Over the years, there have been many bowlers who have made a significant impact for their sides in the Asia Cup and are even featured in the list of highest wicket taker in Asia Cup history. Players like Muthiah Muralidaran, Lasith Malinga and many more are certified legends for their sides, and they fully deserve the status after their brilliant bowling performances over the years.

With the Asia Cup 2025 right around the corner, let's have a look at the highest wicket taker in Asia Cup history.

Also Read: Highest Run Scorer in Asia Cup History (ODI + T20)

Highest Wicket Taker in Asia Cup History | ODI Format

1. Muthiah Muralidaran

Muthiah Muralidaran is considered to be one of the greatest bowlers in the history of cricket. He has picked up 30 wickets in 24 Asia Cup matches at an economy of 3.75 and an average of 28.83. He was part of Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup titles wins in 1997, 2004 and 2008.

2. Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga is second on the list of best bowlers in Asia Cup history. He has been one of Sri Lanka's greatest pacers, especially in white-ball cricket. Malinga played in 5 editions from 2004 to 2018 and took 29 wickets at an economy of 4.65 and an average of 20.55. He finished as the highest wicket-taker in the 2010 and 2014 editions and won the Asia Cup in 2004 and 2014.

3. Ajantha Mendis

Former Sri Lanka mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis is third on the list. Mendis took 26 wickets in just 8 matches from 2008 to 2014 at an economy of 3.98 and an average of 10.42. He was the highest wicket-taker at the 2008 edition and helped Sri Lanka to the Asia Cup titles in 2008 and 2014.

4. Saeed Ajmal

Saeed Ajmal is the only non-Sri Lankan bowler in the top 5 bowlers with the most wickets in Asia Cup history. Ajmal took 25 wickets in 12 matches between 2008 and 2014 at an average of 19.25 and an economy rate of 4.21. He was part of Pakistan’s Asia Cup-winning team in 2012.

5. Ravindra Jadeja

India's star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja completes the top 5 list of the bowlers with most wickets in the Asia Cup. He played in the 2010 to 2023 editions of the Asia Cup so far and took 25 wickets at an average of 26.28 and an economy rate of 4.34. 

Also Read: Asia Cup 2025 date announced; BCCI yet to confirm participation against Pakistan

Highest Wicket Taker in Asia Cup History | T20 Format

1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The top wicket-taker in Asia Cup T20 history is India’s pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has scalped 13 wickets in six matches at an impressive average of 9.46. The 35-year-old, who is currently not part of India’s squad, is also known for his skillful death and new ball bowling.

Bhuvi has an excellent economy rate of only 5.34 and is the only bowler to take a five-wicket haul in the shorter edition of the tournament. The right-arm medium pacer’s best figures of 5/4 — also his T20I best, came against Afghanistan in the 2022 edition of the tournament.

2. Amjad Javed

The second-highest wicket-taker of this list is Amjad Javed of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who has featured only in the 2016 edition of the tournament, where he led the team. In the only edition he played in this format, he has taken 12 wickets in seven matches at an average of 14.08.

The 45-year-old has a relatively higher economy rate of 7.34 as compared to Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Javed’s best bowling figures in an innings came against Sri Lanka during the inaugural edition of the T20I format of the Asia Cup. The right-arm pacer took three wickets for 25 runs to record his best figures in the tournament.

3. Mohammad Naveed

The third-highest wicket-taker in the event’s history is also the UAE’s Mohammad Naveed, with 11 wickets to his name in seven matches. Like Amjad Javed, he made only one appearance during the 2016 Asia Cup, where his team advanced after playing qualifying rounds.

The 38-year-old has an excellent average of 13.18 with a reasonable economy rate of 5.24. Naveed’s best bowling figures of 3-14 came against Hong Kong in 2016. With his bowling performance, the UAE restricted Hong Kong to 146-7 in their 20 overs. In reply, the UAE successfully chased down the total and won by nine wickets.

4. Rashid Khan

Afghanistan spin wizard Rashid Khan has taken 161 wickets in just 96 T20Is for Afghanistan and is the leading wicket taker in T20 cricket. However, he is unlikely to be fourth on the list by his standards. He has so far taken 11 wickets despite playing eight matches, a number higher than all the top three bowlers.

The leg-spinner has an average of 18.36 and boasts a slightly higher economy rate of 6.51. His best figures of 3-22 came against Bangladesh in 2022, resulting in a thrilling victory over the Tigers.

5. Hardik Pandya

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is fifth on the list. The right-arm pacer has scalped 11 wickets in eight matches so far, with an average of 18.81 and the highest economy rate of (7.01) among the top five bowlers.

Notably, his best figures of 3-8 against arch-rivals Pakistan during the 2016 edition. Thanks to Hardik Pandya’s bowling, India bundled out Pakistan for a modest total of 83 and successfully chased it down in 15.3 overs.

As per the latest ICC rankings, India's Abhishek Sharma clinched the No.1 ranking in the T20I batting ladder. Meantime, Shubman Gill continued to be ICC No. 1-ranked ODI batter. On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah strengthened his position at the top of the ICC Men's Test Bowling rankings.

Hardik Pandya continued to be No.1 all-rounder in T20Is while Ravindra Jadeja achieved his career-best 29th ranking in ICC Test Batting ladderboard. With his 150 in Manchester, Joe Root stabilised his position at the top of the ICC Men's Test Batting rankings.

Read Also: Most runs in a series in Tests

ICC Rankings: Test

ICC Rankings: ODI

ICC Rankings: T20I

The Eliminator match of IPL 2025 will be played between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Friday, May 30. The team that wins this match will play Qualifier-2 while the losing team will be out of the tournament.

Gujarat Titans were strong contenders for the number two position from the beginning, but the defeat in the last 2 matches spoiled their chances. After the initial defeat, Mumbai Indians were also riding on the winning chariot, but after losing 2 out of the last 3 matches of the league stage, Hardik Pandya and team had to settle for the fourth position. Now both these teams have to win 3 consecutive matches to win the title.

Also Read: Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2025 Qualifier 1 Preview, Head-to-head, Possible XIs and Fantasy Team Prediction

After defeating MI twice in the group stages earlier in the IPL 2025 season, GT will be confident to get the better of the five-time champions once again, to get themselves a step closer to winning their second title in four seasons.

For MI, it will be very important to bring their A game forward after not playing to their full potential against GT earlier in the tournament, and this could very well be the case due to the impressive track record in the knockout matches for the franchise.

From possible playing XIs to head-to-head record, here is everything you need to know about the Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians Eliminator in IPL 2025.

Match Details

• Match: Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians 
• Tournament: IPL 2025, Eliminator
• Date: 30 May 2025
• Time: 7:30 PM IST
• Venue: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur

Streaming Details

Cricket fans from India can watch the GT vs MI Eliminator on Star Sports TV Channels on Television. They can also stream the match LIVE on JioHotstar for free.

Pitch Report

The pitches at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur had something for batters and bowlers during the early stages of the IPL 2025, allowing for some compelling cricket for the fans. Over the years, the teams batting first have five matches, while teams batting second have won four matches in the league at this venue. The average first innings total here in the IPL is 170.

Weather Report

The weather report has forecasted rain in Chandigarh on the match day. However, there is no forecast of rain during the match time at night. As a result, rain is unlikely to play spoilsport during the GT vs MI clash. The temperature is set to hover in the early 30s during the match.

GT vs MI: Head-to-Head Record

Gujarat Titans have a proud 5-2 record in seven IPL matches over MI, with a few matches going down to the wire over the course of the last four seasons. Earlier in the IPL 2025, one of their fixtures, which was played in Mumbai, was decided on the last ball with the rain playing a role leading up to it, wherein GT held their nerve to get across the finishing line.

GT's Last Five Matches

MI's Last Five Matches

Also Read: IPL 2025 playoffs: Here is how each team reached top four

Possible XIs

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Gerald Coetzee, R Sai Kishore, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj

Impact Subs: Arshad Khan

Mumbai Indians: Jonny Bairstow (wk), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Charith Asalanka, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah

Impact Subs: Karn Sharma

Fantasy Team Prediction

Kusal Mendis, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (vc), Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya (c), Mitchell Santner, Arshad Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Trent Boult.