Kuldeep Yadav has been sidelined for T20I tours of Ireland and UK.
Former India spinner R Ashwin has slammed the Gautam Gambhir-led India team management for bizarrely handling spinner Kuldeep Yadav. He pointed out that although the management led by Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma "saw the proof in the pudding" when they firmly supported Kuldeep, Gautam Gambhir and company had abandoned him once more.
Rohit served as India's all-format captain for the majority of Dravid's time as coach from November 2021 to June 2024. Kuldeep participated in 38 ODIs, 17 T20Is, and six Test matches during this time. He has played in six Tests, 17 ODIs, and 14 T20Is in a shorter amount of time since Gambhir took control.
Kuldeep only got to play one game in the T20 World Cup 2026, where Varun Chakaravarthy was preferred over him. And now he has not been picked for the upcoming England and Ireland T20I tours, with leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi getting the nod ahead of him.
“The way Kuldeep Yadav has been handled is bizarre. Kuldeep, when the last team management was around with Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma, he was well backed, and everyone saw the proof in the pudding as he was delivering match-winning performances. But again, in the last 18 months, Kuldeep finds himself with a lot of question marks,” Ashwin said on ESPNCricinfo.
He also stated that Kuldeep’s performance in IPL 2026, where he took 10 wickets for Delhi Capitals, played a part in his exclusion. However, he has remained part of the Test squad and is part of the ongoing Afghanistan Test. Ashwin has asked Kuldeep to focus on Test cricket.
“Test cricket must now be his priority, and he must take it on," Ashwin said.
Bishnoi’s call-up to the Indian team came as a surprise, as he played only nine matches in IPL 2026 for 11 wickets for the Rajasthan Royals.
Ashwin recalled how, despite being the best bowler in the world, Bishnoi was substituted for Kuldeep in December 2023.
“So, what goes around comes around. He didn’t have a great IPL, and on the back of not playing the back half of the IPL, he is back in the T20 setup. These are circular calls in many ways. But version 2.0 of Ravi Bishnoi needs to turn up because he misses his length way too much now than he must, and he must rediscover his mojo," said Ashwin.