Stats don’t lie, but selectors might: Decoding Kuldeep Yadav's stop-start career

July 2, 2025 Credit: Getty

Talent in Limbo

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Ignored or Misunderstood?

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Selectors' Blind Spot

[{"selector":"#anim-5a8c378e-1563-42bd-ad5d-4cfc7058d0c7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b07278d6-98d6-4d7f-ad4f-179f5e9b5499","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.97499%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b86a076e-8e1b-463d-a674-c52d20d570a1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f0672f70-3ebb-4ac9-bc49-b5adce7b12be","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -637.2222%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c01a93a1-dcea-4255-918a-f58c8e6a2bb7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c6bbb8fa-34ad-4187-8d12-f3c62c649f45","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 176.25829%, 0) rotate(360deg)","rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(360deg)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-74b34357-9840-4737-88e5-79724194324b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-785fe434-ec33-420b-bc49-39680cec13e5","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 915.63838%, 0) rotate(360deg)","rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(360deg)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b4987d47-3b31-454a-8d41-248e1b2fd53c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1200,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8840bed2-1d1d-4671-80dd-e10be6a746a8","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 501.38818%, 0) rotate(360deg)","rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(360deg)"]},"delay":1200,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] It has become a pattern for Indian Team management to ignore Kuldeep, who has taken 56 wickets in 13 Tests Credit: Getty

Kuldeep's interesting timeline

[{"selector":"#anim-8a9e09ee-1f26-4862-9029-8882bb0ca965","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3d6a7dae-7651-4b55-9ea8-75550d7689ac","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.97499%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ae5060b5-8690-41fe-bb0e-3a4c471ab377","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d14de23c-4d08-4ad3-bf1c-861e2b9653a5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -650.2222%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c638d6af-8efd-4a58-95a7-8aafe8f75257","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-891f683e-6fb9-41fd-b7ad-a4283a1c5517","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 222.09449%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b55a220e-4c00-45f2-9934-85b2d93511d7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-06f088a7-55bb-410f-8315-4ebab311ab51","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 956.37902%, 0) rotate(360deg)","rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(360deg)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9a824410-0526-493d-95b8-eb9c76ff45fb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1200,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1beb6e78-6f99-421c-9eb2-05229d9543af","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 226.38857%, 0) rotate(360deg)","rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(360deg)"]},"delay":1200,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Let's have a look at the curious case of Kuldeep with this timeline Credit: Getty

2017

[{"selector":"#anim-8a0db532-e720-4dbd-8f65-eacb7443295f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-acc60c1e-51b8-4edc-b38c-2e73784416e2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.97499%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-626f68cd-8ba2-4bd5-8909-741e154f20b2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6ae03441-8c2c-47e2-b4fe-67ada03cee64","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -637.2222%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-19fceb1c-49dc-49a4-add7-fec046d9700e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ae28ce7d-eca7-45c5-b9f3-62292b66b229","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 233.58880%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-47538208-ca4a-486e-b732-2670f4ac0a78","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1a69eb26-6627-44c8-9a8b-376f88badb04","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 919.34204%, 0) rotate(360deg)","rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(360deg)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d0aeebc2-0db0-4ce8-a193-70da88e0e285","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1200,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fa0c7733-cd09-496d-ac10-e0a7353675d5","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 357.63847%, 0) rotate(360deg)","rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(360deg)"]},"delay":1200,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] 2017: Dropped from the team after a match-winning performance on their Test debut Credit: Getty

2018

[{"selector":"#anim-b488fdfe-4638-4bd8-b3c4-a9af4eb1c4e2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d874f56d-b817-409a-a8d8-28a5357c303a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.97499%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c000fcb8-0d7f-4153-aea3-13b1c9372454","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-43f627be-59e0-40e7-a3a0-8d62858e4b1e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -637.2222%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f0aabc16-39b4-40b6-9279-e2a5032b9b99","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-301b5687-4758-4302-8900-964418afdd98","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 174.54891%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-664abc5c-73f6-4bd8-946f-f5fef6ee30fa","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-47b0a27d-8c65-4e42-9dfe-9e82e46cee87","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 904.52720%, 0) rotate(360deg)","rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(360deg)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-586baf9d-6f2c-4ef1-8b8b-b85b2b094c5b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1200,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9c600fd2-d075-4079-8805-b1e9fe7f091d","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 389.54235%, 0) rotate(360deg)","rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(360deg)"]},"delay":1200,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] 2018: Selected for a Test match at Lord's despite the pitch offering no assistance for spin bowling Credit: Getty

2019

[{"selector":"#anim-858ac928-0470-4b4e-9670-c57b45113ed4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e22b5105-3e30-4063-aab5-4495db9f5fc0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.97499%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-894eec63-61e1-40fd-9e8f-b2340440d66d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8ffe9b93-141b-44a0-99a7-5ece708844b2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -637.2222%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ab5b7548-defa-47c4-b23b-feec7e579a60","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5aa124a5-50f3-46f4-ac0e-e91641ee0fc2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 174.54891%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-21750402-48b8-46ae-abd4-2fda3178d129","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e169ae10-410f-4ed7-94ca-7d7e3d29137d","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 930.45322%, 0) rotate(360deg)","rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(360deg)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9c07edb0-d96a-48cc-b964-10e49f988694","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1200,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-08911fca-3f9a-40e7-8750-8f38ec248f1c","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 513.88837%, 0) rotate(360deg)","rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(360deg)"]},"delay":1200,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] 2019: Dropped from the team for two years after the coach termed them India's No. 1 overseas spinner Credit: Getty

2022

[{"selector":"#anim-ccf97ed2-e0bb-47fd-b93b-d30fb6a3fa51","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6a397b08-9572-4c7a-9e93-b751aa1e0327","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.97499%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b2d132fe-e1ff-49ea-a559-c2bd3bab5d8e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1b2a4dc4-0fd8-405f-8fdd-bc4bb3627544","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -637.2222%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a113eca8-0ef3-4e46-b11a-4a2c9aa0b7e9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a5f832c6-16cb-4d25-b10e-30a42629520e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 177.11298%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-943b6dfc-e84a-457c-8c3a-fd89140f8e51","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ff2f1b39-db8a-46b7-b6e6-559ff95f50d2","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 915.63838%, 0) rotate(360deg)","rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(360deg)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bccf3d97-8b5d-44ca-b1f7-6cf80b6b59c5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1200,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dd613dc1-6891-4202-8b64-4c04cf2e557c","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 451.38818%, 0) rotate(360deg)","rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(360deg)"]},"delay":1200,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] 2022: Achieved a Player-of-the-Match performance against Bangladesh but was then ignored for 14 months Credit: Getty

2024

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Same old story in 2025

[{"selector":"#anim-c9d3dd57-5587-4496-a903-75e2ad34f7f1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c50c1d5d-f2cc-4d2a-8eda-17ac0edbf98c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.97499%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c15880a9-cfd8-4213-9b7f-23a6b77380c5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-88fb21c7-9bf3-40aa-b158-38e523af9929","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -637.2222%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6810b516-bfeb-4c97-89a7-e72b8482d20c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ada5e71c-fb09-4f17-9d56-bc95355fa27c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 228.99109%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ffe2aa97-a643-4bb9-a38c-d5c2c4ae449b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b7a86383-77ea-4569-b710-a54fcf82d3cb","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 926.74934%, 0) rotate(360deg)","rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(360deg)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2a40dbfa-3494-4015-a323-a4d27f78e26e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1200,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-821edb37-4297-4afc-b202-045fc73e90ff","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 270.13866%, 0) rotate(360deg)","rotate(-360deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(360deg)"]},"delay":1200,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] 2025: Ignored for the Edgbaston Test despite India playing two spinners Credit: Getty

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