India’s decision to leave out Kuldeep Yadav from the playing XI for the second Test against England at Edgbaston has drawn sharp criticism, with former India pacer Dodda Ganesh delivering one of the most scathing reactions. Taking to X, Ganesh remarked, “Kuldeep should bat in top 3 for Uttar Pradesh in the #RanjiTrophy and get some runs, to be picked to play for India in the tests. I don’t see any other way he can force his way back into this setup where one’s secondary skill dictates the team selection.” The comment, dripping with sarcasm, reflected the widespread frustration over India’s growing reliance on all-rounders at the expense of pure specialists.
Kuldeep, who last played a Test in 2024 against New Zealand, has featured in just 13 Tests since his 2017 debut despite consistently impressive returns whenever selected. His omission has puzzled fans and experts alike, especially after the left-arm wrist-spinner picked up key wickets in recent matches and showed signs of being in red-hot form. Former Australia captain Aaron Finch also joined the chorus of criticism, writing: “If Bumrah was fit to play then surely you need to pick the best bowler in the world? At the very least Kuldeep has to be in the XI if you’re worried about taking 20 wickets. Yes, he might be more expensive but he’s the next best attacking option!” Captain Shubman Gill defended the decision, citing a need to bolster the batting after lower-order collapses in the previous Test. “We were very tempted to play him… but we wanted to add a bit of depth in the batting,” Gill told Michael Atherton at the toss.
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But with India needing to take 20 wickets to stay alive in the series, leaving Kuldeep out has only intensified the heat on the team’s selection strategy.
