Former England captain Michael Vaughan has called for a major change in India’s playing eleven for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on March 5. Vaughan wants Tilak Varma to make way for left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav. He feels England players have struggled to pick Kuldeep. But, he wonders whether the wrist spinner is in form or not.
"I would play Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep, over the years, has had England on toast in any format. He has always been a bowler England have struggled to pick. Do you need Tilak Varma or Shivam Dube down the order? Instead, I would be playing the left-arm leg-spinner against this England batting lineup. We don't know if Kuldeep is in form as he hasn't played. But him against the England batters will be a good matchup for India," Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.
However, Vaughan admitted that head coach Gautam Gambhir is likely to approve of a change as it means compromising with batting depth.
“But Gautam Gambhir's history is to generally pack the batting. He sets up T20 teams where you've got a real powerful insurance at 7, 8 and 9. So what I am saying potentially won't happen, but it would be worthwhile to play Kuldeep against this England batting lineup,” he added.
Kuldeep’s T20I record against England
While India’s bowling lineup looks settled, Kuldeep has an impressive record against the English in the format. From just three T20I appearances against England, he has claimed eight wickets at an average of 9.62. His economy rate is 6.41 runs per over. In 2018, he claimed a five-wicket haul against England in Manchester, resulting in India's eight-wicket win.
So far, Kuldeep has played just one game in the tournament. he bowled three overs against Pakistan in Colombo, claimed a wicket and conceded 14 runs.
Varma regains form
After not being able to capitalise on starts and a single-digit score, Varma was given a role in the middle overs. The 23-year-old scored an unbeaten 16-ball 44 against Zimbabwe and a 15-ball 27 cameo against West Indies in the run chase.