The Indian spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, was responsible for taking out Devon Conway at a crucial moment during India’s fourth T20I against New Zealand in 2026, getting rid of a potentially dangerous partnership when Conway was batting on 44 runs and New Zealand was building up some momentum and looking as if they could achieve a large total. Conway was in great form, having batted well through the first 10 overs of the innings, but his inside-out shot attempt created the chance for Yadav to break through.

Conway’s dismissal also came at an important time for New Zealand, as they had just achieved a 100-run partnership for the first wicket of the innings, further adding to the significance of the moment for the home side. The left-arm wrist-spinner (Yadav) floated the ball around the fifth stump and drew Conway forward, but the batter mistimed his attempt to hit the ball and sliced it off the toe of his bat, and as it ballooned into the air towards deep extra cover, Rinku Singh made an easy catch.

Conway's departure for 44 runs stopped New Zealand's momentum and allowed India to get back into the match. Until that point in the match, Conway had looked to be batting well with a mix of being cautious but also taking calculated risks. Yadav's ability to change his speed and how high he was throwing the ball was yet again critical to his role in India's T20 team structure.

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Opening partnership broken ⚡️

Kuldeep Yadav strikes as #TeamIndia have wicket no.1⃣ 🙌

Updates ▶️ https://t.co/GVkrQKKyd6 #INDvNZ | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/SRTU7cmZu5

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 28, 2026

Kuldeep’s Magical Turning Point Changes the Balance of the Match

With the breaking of the opening partnership, India was able to take control of the game with the wicket of the dangerous Devon Conway. From the point of losing Conway, New Zealand had to rethink their approach and change their strategy for batting, while the Indian bowlers began to tighten their action and length in order to build pressure on the New Zealand batsmen.

Kuldeep has a great record for taking wickets and being able to produce great performances in big games. His ability to bowl with flight and use variation by bowling slower balls has consistently caused problems for the best batsmen in the world, and his recent wicket is a clear illustration of Kuldeep’s continued importance to India in limited-overs cricket, especially during high-pressure situations like this T20I series.