Champions Trophy 2025: AB de Villiers names India's X-factor
What's the story
As India gear up for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, South African legend AB de Villiers has named the team's potential game-changer. Surprisingly, de Villiers didn't name star players Virat Kohli or Jasprit Bumrah as the key players for the upcoming tournament. He instead named left-arm leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav as Team India's biggest weapon. Here's what ABD had to say about Yadav and his importance for India in the tournament.
X-factor
Here's what De Villiers has predicted
De Villiers made his prediction on his YouTube channel, saying Yadav could be India's X-factor because he could be effective on Dubai's spin-friendly pitches. "Kuldeep Yadav is also in the Indian team, who I think can prove to be an X-factor for India," de Villiers said. He further explained how spinners could get an advantage on Dubai's pitch. Notably, India will play all their matches in Dubai according to the hybrid model adopted by the ICC.
Return
Yadav's journey back to cricket
Yadav has made his return to competitive cricket in the ongoing last group-stage match of the 2025 Ranji Trophy 2025 for Uttar Pradesh. He was earlier dropped from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad due to a long-term problem with his left groin. Now that he is fully fit, Yadav is likely to return in the ODI series against England before the Champions Trophy.
Stats
Over 170 wickets in ODI cricket
Yadav, who has featured in 106 ODIs (103 innings) has picked up 172 scalps at an average of 26. The tally includes seven four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls. Overall, he boasts an economy rate of 4.99, including a career-best 6/25, which he picked up against England in 2018. The wrist-spinner managed 15 wickets during the 2023 ODI World Cup and finished 2023 with 49 wickets, the most for a bowler that year.