Former India spinner R Ashwin has openly questioned the team management’s controversial decision to drop left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the playing eleven during the crucial T20I series against the West Indies, citing a lack of common sense.
IMAGE: Kuldeep Yadav played only the first two games of the ongoing T20I series against the West Indies. Photograph: ANI Photo
Key Points
- Former India spinner R Ashwin criticised the team management’s decision to drop Kuldeep Yadav from the T20I series against West Indies.
- Ashwin stated that leaving Kuldeep out “lacked a bit of common sense,” especially as West Indies batters struggled against his spin.
- Kuldeep played the first two matches, taking 2 for 33 in the opener, but was dropped for the next two games in Indore and Hyderabad.
- Ashwin believes Kuldeep’s presence could have made a difference of “15-20 runs” in the matches India lost.
- The five-match T20I series is currently tied at 2-2, with the decider scheduled for Bengaluru.
Former India spinner R Ashwin has questioned the team management’s decision to drop spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the playing eleven, saying it lacked common sense as his presence could have made a difference in the ongoing T20I series against the West Indies.
Ashwin’s Critique of Kuldeep’s Omission
Kuldeep played the first two matches in Lucknow and Ranchi before being left out for the next two games in Indore and Hyderabad. The left-arm wrist spinner returned figures of 2 for 33 in the opening match but conceded 53 runs in the Ranchi match, which India lost.
India’s bowling struggles continued in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad, where the West Indies scored 247 for 3 and went on to win by 24 runs after dismissing India for 223.
“It is very surprising because, on a ground where you expect to get some bounce, I know it has not always been a happy hunting ground for spinners. But the West Indies batters are struggling to pick his (Kuldeep) googly and leg-spin. So, if you are leaving Kuldeep out against them, it lacks a bit of common sense. It is very surprising because I think his presence could have made a difference of 15-20 runs,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
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Impact on Series and Future Selection
“I was surprised. Kuldeep was not picked in Indore, and I would still endorse that decision because I can understand that the ground is small. But you are almost making an issue out of it by suggesting that India’s loss in Ranchi was because of Kuldeep. That, in itself, is wrong,” he added.
Kuldeep had been India’s leading wicket-taker in the ODI series against the West Indies earlier this month, claiming seven wickets in three matches.
The five-match T20I series is locked at 2-2, with the decider set to be played in Bengaluru on Saturday.
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