The BCCI announced Team India's squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England, and surprisingly Kuldeep Yadav was not picked for any of the series. Instead of picking the star left-arm spinner, Ravi Bishnoi has been selected by the selectors.
Ravichandran Ashwin slams Gautam Gambhir for ignoring Kuldeep Yadav
Reacting on this, former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has slammed head coach Gautam Gambhir for not giving a long rope to the star chinaman bowler, who has done really well for the Indian side in the recent past.
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In an interaction with ESPNcricinfo, Ashwin noted how the Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma-led team management beautifully handled Kuldeep, as they backed him continuously. On the other hand, Gautam Gambhir's team management has left Kuldeep Yadav in a never ending confusion.
“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," said Ashwin
However, Ashwin admitted that Kuldeep Yadav's underwhelming form in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 could be one of the reasons behind his omission. Kuldeep remained in the Test squad and started the ongoing one-off match against Afghanistan. Ashwin urged Kuldeep to capitalise on the opportunities given in the Test format.
“Test cricket must now be his priority, and he must take it on," Ashwin concluded.
Kuldeep Yadav's underwhelming form in IPL 2026
While playing for Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL 2026, Kuldeep Yadav played 11 matches, where he took just 11 wickets at an economy rate of 10.30 and a bowling average of 31.00. His best bowling figures of 3/29 came in the last league game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).