Kuldeep YadavHis absence from India’s playing XI has come under fire after the left-arm spinner was overlooked for the entire ODI series against England, resulting in the former Indian batsman’s absence. Ravichandran Ashwin questioning the team management’s faith in him. The all-rounder missed out again in the third ODI at Lord’s on Sunday, though he is Jasprit Bumrah unavailable. His failure has also led to controversy over his position under the head coach Gautam Gambhir. Since Gambhir took over on July 9, 2024, India have played 104 international matches, but Kuldeep has played only 38. The lack of opportunities has led Ashwin to believe that the spinner is no longer part of the team’s plans. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said Kuldeep should stop waiting for opportunities that never seem to come. “Kuldeep should not play at all. No reason. This is a world of batsmen, which cannot understand the bravery of a bowler and his song. I am big Indian cricket buff – I always think about Indian cricket. Even with the IPL going on, I still think, ‘What can Indian cricket do?’ Kuldeep is at the stage where he will play till 35 or 36 years of age. They have a good relationship; he recently went to an IPL commercial – he should have packed his bags and come. Like Mohammad Kaif he said, what’s the matter?” Ashwin also agreed with Kuldeep’s character, saying that he is the fastest wrist spinner in world cricket and arguing that his record compares well with other white ball leaders in the world. “Kuldeep has taken almost 170 wickets from 120 matches. If you look at all the bowlers in the world, he is better than Adam Zampa. We feel that Adam Zampa is one of the best white bowlers. He is ahead of all,” he said. The former India all-rounder admitted that he already believed that Kuldeep should remain with the team and continue to improve his batting while waiting for an opportunity. However, the selection of the Indian team at Lord’s changed his outlook. “Before yesterday, I used to say – Kuldeep should be there with the bag and try to improve his batting. But yesterday (the third ODI), a lot of things changed… In this team, where you don’t need to bat at number 8 – you went with the power of bowling – and even then, after the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, you still don’t take the confidence of Kuldeep Kuldeep. Zero. The team management does not have any confidence in Kuldeep Yadav,” he said. Ashwin questioned what will happen to Kuldeep if he is unable to find a place even though the conditions seem to favor inclusion. “When we leave, where is his chance? He should be number one now. But the confidence shown in him – there is none. What is the point of Kuldeep continuing? What is the way forward for him?” Ashwin asked. He said that every dressing room naturally produces its favorite players, but felt that Kuldeep has been a tough one. “I know everyone has their preferences. It’s not possible for someone to come and say, ‘I’m going to treat everyone the same.’ Without realizing it, you will have your own preferences. There will be, but this is a very strange story. Yesterday was a big challenge for Kuldeep. “ Kuldeep last represented India in a home ODI against Afghanistan in June, where he featured in one of the three matches. Earlier this year, he endured a disappointing ODI series against New Zealand and also made one appearance in India’s T20 World Cup campaign.
