India's recently retired off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has slammed critics of left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav who remained wicketless in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal against Australia on a spin-friendly wicket in Dubai. Ashwin in his post-match assessment said that he was tagged in a tweet where someone tagged him saying Kuldeep did not do bowl well in the knockout clash.
"You start looking for someone to put the blame. Someone tagged me in a tweet that Kuldeep didn't perform well today. I genuinely don't understand how people come up with such conclusions," Ashwin said on his YouTube show on March 4.
Rohit went on to explain what Rohit Sharma's plans were introducing Kuldeep early on and then using his services against Australia's left-handed batters.
"Rohit's game plan was to attack Steve Smith, Marcus Labuschagne, and Josh Inglis with left-arm spinners. That's why, for the first time ever, Rohit brought in Kuldeep during the powerplay. Rohit knew they had two left-handers in the team and Inida could use left-arm chinaman bowler against them. Yes, Kuldeep was used in the powerplay, and was smashed for a six by Head over mid-on. But, he did bowl well to Head within the powerplay," Ashwin said.
"You shouldn't decide on the bowling prowess of a player by looking at the wickets column after the match. This is not how limited overs cricket functions. There are lot of factors like when you are bowling, when you are asked to come back for your second spell and so on," the 38-year-old added.
Ashwin lauds Chakravarthy but backs Kuldeep
Ashwin lauded India's in-form mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy but wants fans to not just judge a bowler on the basis of the numbers in the wicket column.
"Yes, Varun Chakravarthy came and took out 5 wickets. Guys, I am saying, please understand, Varun Chakravarthy's novelty factor is going on. His identity, I mean, how is his bowling coming, because it is an X factor. That's why people are watching and playing, and they are not ready to take such a risk," the veteran bowler said.
"He is a new player. Of course, for us, Varun Chakravarthy is gold. But do not lose out on the diamond that Kuldeep Yadav is. Please estimate how his bowling is going. Please do not estimate by wickets. And people say that he has experience and he should do more. What can we do? Should we take out all 10 wickets? It doesn't happen in one-day game or T20 game. And someone has also said that he didn't put so well in the final of T20 World Cup. Please, please watch how he bowls and not go by the end figures."
Kuldeep remained wicketless against Bangladesh as well. However, he took two wickets against New Zealand and three against Pakistan.
