Kuldeep Yadav Deserves Better: The Curious Case Of India's Forgotten Wizard

Watching India's net session at Edgbaston this week, the mood was intense. Shubman Gill shadow-batted with purpose. The pacers ran in with the usual fire. But one figure stood quietly at the edge of the outfield: Kuldeep Yadav, sleeves rolled up, bowling into the wind, away from the main group. The silence around him speaks louder than any press conference.

For a spinner who has turned games on their head and mesmerized with his left-arm wrist spin, Kuldeep's Test career is oddly sparse. Eight years after his debut, he has played just 13 Tests. Thirteen. That's not even two a year. For context, England's Shoaib Bashir made his debut in 2024 and played more Tests in six months than Kuldeep has in years.

This isn't a player on the fringes. This is the same Kuldeep Yadav who grabbed 22 wickets at 23.06 in 2024, becoming a central figure in India's 4-1 demolition of England at home. His spell in Ranchi, in particular, was a masterclass in deception and control. He dismissed Zak Crawley, Ben Stokes, Tom Hartley, and Ollie Robinson in that innings.

And yet, at Edgbaston, he's out of the XI again.

Why does this keep happening?

Shubman Gill's explanation at the toss was diplomatic: the team wanted batting depth. With India's lower order wobbling at Headingley, they opted for all-rounders like Washington Sundar. Fair. But scratch deeper, and the trend is revealing.

India's selection lens in recent years seems to favor flexibility over flair, all-rounders over specialists. If you can't bat a bit, bowl a bit, and maybe field at midwicket with energy, you're less likely to be picked - even if you're Kuldeep Yadav, a rare breed of spinner who can turn games on flat decks and rough ones alike. That seems to be the Agarkar - Gambhir mantra!

Kuldeep, by nature, is a rhythm bowler. He needs time. He's not the kind of player who thrives in the one-off game every 18 months. And when he's given that time, he delivers. The 2024 England series proved that. But the faith, somehow, still doesn't come.

Is it just about team balance?

Yes and no. India's obsession with batting depth often forces them to squeeze out specialists. But Kuldeep's omission reflects something deeper - a fear of risk. He is not a containment bowler. He is not Jadeja, bowling tight lines for two runs an over. He's a wicket-taker, and that sometimes means a few boundary balls too.

But Test cricket isn't just about economy. It's about impact. It's about winning sessions, not just surviving them. Kuldeep offers that rare X-factor, the kind that can crack open a 150-run stand on a dead pitch. And yet, in match after match, India prefers to play it safe.

The real question is this:

How many times must Kuldeep prove himself before he becomes a regular? How many series must he light up before he's no longer the 12th man with the drinks?

Sunil Gavaskar said he was“baffled” by Kuldeep's omission. Mohammad Azharuddin called for reducing India's over-dependence on Bumrah and using Kuldeep more. Fans on social media were sharper:“What more does he need to do?” one asked.“Gambhir's all-rounder obsession,” quipped another.

In a candid chat on the sidelines, former India coach Ravi Shastri told me,“Kuldeep's omission is baffling-especially when he's bowling as well as he is right now.”

He might not be India's cure-all, but for English batsmen, Kuldeep is a problem they'd rather not face.

The road ahead

Edgbaston may not be a raging turner, but by Day 4 or 5, it will bite. And if India's pacers run dry, the question will arise again: why didn't we play Kuldeep?

For now, he watches from the sidelines. Still smiling. Still bowling in the nets. But for how long can one of India's most potent red-ball weapons remain unused?

India needs to start trusting Kuldeep Yadav - not as a backup plan, but as a matchwinner in his own right.

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