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Kuldeep Yadav celebrated Yashasvi Jaiswal’s wicket with Lionel Messi’s ‘Iron Man’ celebration. A Barcelona fan, he has taken 11 wickets in IPL 2025, aiding Delhi Capitals’ top spot.
Kuldeep Yadav doing the Iron Man celebration in IPL 2025. (Image: X)
Delhi Capitals spinner Kuldeep Yadav demonstrated his love for football in the last IPL game against the Rajasthan Royals. Kuldeep, known as a passionate Barcelona fan, imitated Lionel Messi to celebrate the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal. The moment unfolded in the 14th over of the second innings. Jaiswal had just reached his half-century when Kuldeep baffled him with a flighted, slower delivery, with Mitchell Starc completing an easy catch at the long-on. Following the dismissal, the Indian spinner pulled off Messi’s ‘Iron Man’ celebration.
The Inter Miami star introduced the style after scoring an equaliser against Charlotte FC in the last season of the Major League Soccer (MLS). Just like his footballing idol, Kuldeep placed his hands by his side and raised his heels to mimic the iconic lift-off gesture of Iron Man. His celebration soon went viral, with fans drawing comparisons with Messi.
Since joining Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, Messi has showcased Marvel-inspired celebrations on several occasions. Besides Iron Man, the Argentine legend imitated the styles of some other superheroes like Black Panther, Spider-Man Man and Thor.
When asked about those celebrations, Messi said, “My three sons are still on vacation, have not started school yet, so every night we watch Marvel superhero movies. They came up with the idea and asked that whenever I have a game and score a goal, I do a Marvel superhero celebration. That’s how it started.”
Speaking about Kuldeep, the left-arm spinner has been in terrific form in this IPL. He has emerged as a top contender for the Purple Cap and deserves much credit for Delhi Capitals’ dominant run in the tournament. Having picked 11 scalps, Kuldeep remains second in the wicket-taking charts, following Chennai Super Kings’ Noor Ahmad.
With the bowling unit performing exceptionally, Delhi have lost just one game so far in IPL 2025. They hold the top spot in the league standings with 10 points. After a thrilling win over Rajasthan on home soil, the Axar Patel-led side will now travel to Ahmedabad for the upcoming match. Delhi Capitals are slated to face Gujarat Titans on Saturday, April 19.
