Former India head coach Anil Kumble backed left-arm ball tweaker Kuldeep Yadav's inclusion in the Shubman Gill-led side's scheme of things for the Tests. He reckons that the Kanpur-based spinner brings along an 'X-factor' with him that takes India a step closer to scything 20 wickets.
Kuldeep, who reckons that rhythm is everything, missed his spot in India's playing XI from the five-Test match series of Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 against England. He was seen training alongside Team India in the whole series but the urge for batting depth left no room for him.
With Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, offering batting expertise along with rolling their arms to cast spin magic, Kuldeep is often overlooked at the cost of adding more runs to the board. But Kumble sees Kuldeep as a vital cog in India's bowling machinery.
"I think Kuldeep Yadav should be a part of Test match cricket if you have to take 20 wickets. Yes, there is Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Axar Patel. But I think Kuldeep's X-factor is that it's not easy to pick him. And we have seen that," Kumble said on The Great Indian Cricket Show.
"I would like to see Kuldeep being the number one spinner as a listed spinner in the playing XI. And then whatever you want to do after that, all-rounders, fast bowlers and then you pick the rest of the players," Kumble added.
Kuldeep, who is currently featuring in the Asia Cup 2025, recently opened up on his snub from the playing XI against England, saying that the tour became a valuable learning lesson and helped him come up with new ideas to fine-tune his game.
"In England, obviously, looking at the conditions and the combination of the team, I did not get a place in the team. But obviously, it was a very good time for me to work on myself, to improve my fitness and to give more volume to bowling because it is very important," Kuldeep said while speaking to reporters on Thursday.
"I learned a lot. As a player, you learn a lot when you do not play. When the team reacts to situations, you can judge from the outside. You have a lot of ideas that you are in this situation, how you react and how you bowl. I got a lot of ideas from there," he added.
Kuldeep Yadav's last international outing came in India's second group stage clash against Pakistan, where he picked up three wickets conceeding 18 runs.