Hardik Pandya Reprimands Kuldeep Yadav, Spinner Awkwardly Snubs Suryakumar Yadav’s Hug After Pakistan Win at T20 World Cup 2026 [WATCH]

Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav were unhappy with Kuldeep Yadav.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounder Hardik Pandya were visibly unhappy with Kuldeep Yadav and reprimanded him for his fielding error in the high-octane game against Pakistan at the T20 World Cup 2026. This is not the first time Kuldeep’s fielding has irked big names in the team; Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also had a go at him during the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal.

After a convincing victory in Colombo last night, Indian players were shaking hands among themselves when the event unfolded. Firstly, Hardik was seen having an animated talk with Kuldeep, who could only listen with an upset face.

Soon, when Suryakumar went to embrace Kuldeep Yadav, the spinner did not respond with the same enthusiasm and instead walked away without properly returning his captain’s hug. This gesture irked Suryakumar, who looked back at his spinner with frustration, as Kuldeep kept walking away.

Here is the video 📷 pic.twitter.com/LeAZYLTufk
— सुधाकर सिंह राजपूत (@07VSR) February 15, 2026

The whole incident was so awkward, and Kuldeep was clearly unhappy with the rebuke Hardik and Suryakumar gave him on the field. It might be temporary, and the three will likely come on the same page once things settle, as emotions can get the better of players in the moment, especially in such big games.

Why Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav were unhappy with Kuldeep Yadav

On the second ball of the 18th over, Hardik Pandya produced a second consecutive chance to dismiss the batter, bowling a back-of-a-length delivery outside the off-stump, to which Shaheen Shah Afridi tried to pull towards the wide long-on region. However, he couldn’t time it neatly, and Kuldeep Yadav, who was standing at long-on, had a real chance to grab it.

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While the fielder did well to reach near the ball and attempt to catch it with both hands, he couldn’t hold it and instead spilt it beyond the cushions. Since Ishan Kishan had also dropped a catch on the previous delivery, Hardik couldn’t control himself and used harsh words at both Kishan and Kuldeep.

Even Suryakumar Yadav was unhappy with an otherwise loose fielding effort from the spinner. Then, once Hardik again rebuked Kuldeep after the game, things became more heated and ugly in the middle.

Kuldeep Yadav has improved massively as a fielder in recent times, but he keeps making these mistakes at times, which leaves the bowler and other fielders frustrated. Anyway, the three Indian players will likely settle things among themselves and not let it affect the team environment.

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