Bishnoi went for 60 runs in 4 overs as India lost the second T20I to England.
After the second T20I between England and India in Manchester, former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif made a brutal remark on leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi and his bowling action. The Men in Blue gave up a 0-1 lead in the five-match series after losing the game by four runs.
India failed to defend the total despite posting 190/7 when batting first. Ravi Bishnoi's 17th over, in which he conceded 29 runs, including two no-balls, was a crucial moment. In total, he bowled three no-balls during the match, and Kaif believed that it was illegal for a spinner to do so.
Kaif chastised Bishnoi for his actions, noting that the top leg-spinners in the world had a straightforward and straight run-up. He also mentioned how Bishnoi's run-up and action are constantly changing.
"I am not with Bishnoi, though. A spinner bowling no-balls is a crime. Look at the run-up of some of the greatest leg-spinners. All of them run straight; nobody's angle is zigzag. No one does that. Every time his runup changes, the action changes. Basics and small things are important. You cannot make basic mistakes. It is his mistake. But are the people in the management also looking at this in the nets? They must be telling him about this," he said on his YouTube channel.
Kaif also questioned the team's decision not to play Ravi Bishnoi in the Ireland series, given that he was scheduled to play in England. He believed the spinner could have been better prepared had he played in Ireland initially. Kaif believed that the squad did not have a clear understanding of the optimal playing XI.
"If Bishnoi was in your plan, then why did he not play in Ireland? If he had gotten a game, he could have made corrections there, and it would have been better for him. Many mistakes have been made. Such situations should not come. You should know your best XI. A leg-spinner did not play against Ireland. Bishnoi should have played. We don't know our best XI. England was the bigger series, so he should have played in Ireland first," he remarked.
Bishnoi returned figures of 0/60 in his 4 overs.
Mohammad Kaif also expressed his unhappiness that Ravi Bishnoi was chosen over Kuldeep Yadav. He believed there was a significant ability gap between the two and that Kuldeep should not have been disregarded based on a single poor IPL performance.
"Bishnoi is getting backing. But I am saying even now that he is not close to Kuldeep. Kuldeep has not done anything bad and does not have a bad record. It is a different thing that he did not have a good IPL, and they moved on from him. I will not judge anyone from one bad year or two bad months. Kuldeep has foxed batters in England and won many games. There is a huge difference in the skill sets," Kaif stated.
He added that if playing Ravi Bishnoi was a tactical call, he should have first played in Ireland, and that there was a flaw in the preparation in that sense.
"Kuldeep was not playing in the XI because he could not bat. Now you are playing three spinners. Then why did you move beyond Kuldeep? Does Bishnoi bat? It is also raining here, and you play three spinners. If this was a tactical call, spin to win no matter the conditions, then you should have made Bishnoi ready in Ireland. I am not questioning the decision, but the preparation. The team would have looked more settled coming to England then," he expressed.
Kuldeep has a good record in T20Is against England, taking 8 wickets in 3 games, and has five wickets in 2 T20Is in England.