Kuldeep Yadav once again showcased his class in English conditions, delivering a match-winning spell as Yorkshire cruised to a convincing seven-wicket win over Durham in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup on Friday. The Indian left-arm wrist-spinner finished with impressive figures of 2/23 from his full quota of 10 overs, playing a crucial role in restricting a star-studded Durham batting lineup to just 165.
The highlight of Kuldeep’s spell came when he produced a brilliant delivery to dismiss former England captain Ben Stokes, a moment that quickly grabbed the attention of cricket fans on social media. Yorkshire later chased down the target with ease to register their fourth win in five matches and strengthen their push towards the knockout stages.
Kuldeep Yadav outfoxes Ben Stokes with a brilliant delivery
After Durham opted to bat first, Yorkshire’s seamers made early inroads before Kuldeep entered the attack and tightened the screws in the middle overs. Stokes, who had struggled to get going and managed just 12 runs from 39 deliveries, attempted an ambitious reverse sweep against the Indian spinner.
However, Kuldeep outsmarted the England all-rounder as the mistimed shot went straight to George Hill, ending Stokes’ scratchy stay at the crease. It marked yet another dismissal of Stokes by Kuldeep, who has enjoyed considerable success against the left-hander across formats over the years.
The Indian spinner struck again later in the innings by removing Colin Ackermann for 26, finishing with figures of 2/23 while also bowling a maiden over. His disciplined spell ensured Durham never recovered after their early collapse and were eventually bowled out for 165 in 49 overs.
Here’s the video:
This is Kuldeep Yadav outsmarting and dismissing Ben Stokes across formats yet again. Kuldeep is doing this for Yorkshire because the Indian selectors deemed him surplus to requirements for the international series just days ago. They benched a premier wrist spinner on turning… pic.twitter.com/RGTu9veVtC
— Nervous90s (@Nrvs90s) August 1, 2026
Yorkshire complete comfortable chase
Despite losing both openers early in the chase, Yorkshire remained firmly in control thanks to an unbeaten 97-run partnership between James Wharton and Sam Whiteman. Wharton anchored the innings with an unbeaten 68, while Whiteman contributed a fluent 52 not out as Yorkshire reached 167/3 with nine overs to spare.
The victory continued Yorkshire’s excellent run in the competition, with Kuldeep emerging as one of their most consistent performers. Having already produced wicket-taking spells against Glamorgan, Sussex and Worcestershire earlier in the tournament, the Indian spinner now has eight wickets from four One-Day Cup matches.
For Kuldeep, the performance also comes at an important time after missing India’s recent ODI series against England. His strong displays in county cricket continue to underline his effectiveness in the 50-over format as he builds momentum with every outing.
