Kuldeep Yadav warmed the bench for all three ODIs against England.
Abhinav Mukund, a former opener, questioned the Indian team's management on how they handled Kuldeep Yadav during the most recent ODI series against England.
Mukund noted that the left-arm wrist-spinner is now a very seasoned campaigner, and he should have more clarity about the role he is expected to play in the present system.
India did not select Kuldeep for the third ODI against England at Lord's on Sunday, July 19, despite Washington Sundar's injury. Rather, India opted to play four pacers and one spinner in Axar Patel. Mukund expressed disapproval of the way India has treated Kuldeep in many formats over the past few years.
"I just believe that there should be clarity involved in terms of Kuldeep Yadav. He's not a rookie anymore. He's been around for a very long time, and now he finds himself on the fringe in every format. He's not the preferred spinner in Test, ODI, or T20, and I think it's about time that there is some clarity given as to what kind of role he is going to play in this particular setup. I think it's been a little harsh on him this entire tour,” Mukund said on Cricinfo.
England opted to bat first, and Indian bowlers were hammered to all parts of Lord’s ground as the hosts posted 387/3 in 50 overs, thanks to 141 by Ben Duckett. Gurnoor Brar went for 97 runs in his 10 overs, while Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav went for 72 and 79 runs each. Prasidh Krishna picked up two wickets for 69 runs.
Mukund also highlighted how confused the Indian team management has been about the combination they want to field. He stated that the coach and captain need to have better clarity about the players they want in the India XI.
"If India is going to continuously play this combination, I think there needs to be a conviction between the captain and the coach and select 15 accordingly. Because if you're going to play with no all-rounders in the side, then the balance is a little off. Bilateral series losses happen, but India needs to fix this combination before 2027,” Mukund concluded.
The Men in Blue's next ODI assignment will be against the West Indies at home in September.