![Rohit Sharma backed off from a hug with Kuldeep Yadav [Source: X]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1773119408186_KuldeepYadavRohitSharmaT20WorldCupfinal.jpg?type=hq)
Rohit Sharma backed off from a hug with Kuldeep Yadav [Source: X]
In the midst of all the chaos and excitement for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 final in Ahmedabad, a hilarious moment caught the fans' attention on Sunday. Kuldeep Yadav was seen trying to approach the 2024 title-winning captain Rohit Sharma for a hug, just to be left stranded in front of several thousand fans by the latter.
While the broadcasters did not catch the action live, fans in the stands had their cameras on their favourite stars, and the video of Sharma backing out of the hug with Yadav quickly went viral.
Following the second consecutive T20 World Cup to his name, the left-arm spinner has funnily reacted to the incident and revealed what exactly happened between the two.
Why did Rohit Sharma push Kuldeep away from a hug?
As the dust settled in after India’s thumping win over the Kiwis, Kuldeep spoke to journalist Rohit Juglan in an interview.
The southpaw saw the funny side of the pre-match event with Rohit Sharma and clarified what happened between them, and told him he was not in an ideal condition to be hugged by someone dressed well.
“Rohit bhai has always shown a lot of support and backs us. The hug incident happened because I was very sweaty, and he had to attend an event before the match. It was just normal banter. He is someone who always supports me,” he said.
Notably, Rohit was one of the brand ambassadors of the T20 World Cup and was actively involved in promotional events and get-togethers. During the final, he walked out with the trophy alongside MS Dhoni, and the 100,000 fans went berserk seeing it happen.
He was also seen in a photoshoot with Dhoni and Kapil Dev, the Indian captains with World titles to their names.
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How did Kuldeep Yadav perform in the T20 World Cup?
The left-arm wrist spinner was one of the backup players in the competition, as the world number 1 T20I bowler Varun Chakravarthy took prominence over him in T20Is. He only played a solitary match in the competition against the arch-rivals Pakistan in Colombo.
In the only match played, Kuldeep bowled exceptionally for 1/14 in his 3 overs and dismissed the dangerous finisher Mohammad Nawaz, helping India win by 61 runs.
It is worth noting that he was one of the key members of their 2024 triumph and played all matches after the group stage. He picked 10 wickets in 5 games at an economy rate of under 7 runs per over in the previous edition.
Despite being the second-choice frontline spinner, he remains India’s mainstay across formats and starts ahead of the others in ODIs and Tests at home.
Mission World Cup 2027 begins for India
The Indian cricket team has emerged as a white-ball powerhouse in the last few years. Since 2023, they have won 3/4 ICC white-ball trophies and are the current holders of the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy.
With the fifty over World Cup coming up in 2027, they have a unique chance to become the concurrent holders of all three white-ball titles. The lead-up to the competition will begin after the IPL, as they face Afghanistan in 3 ODIs, followed by a tour of England in July.
Both Rohit and Kuldeep will be prominent members of the ODI squad and will be seen in action together as ODI cricket takes the driver’s seat from now on.
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