Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has strongly criticised Team India’s decision to leave Kuldeep Yadav out of the playing XI once again, suggesting that the left-arm wrist-spinner may have to reconsider his international future if the current trend continues. Kaif’s comments came after Kuldeep was overlooked for the third and final ODI against England at Lord’s despite India making changes to their bowling attack.

Kuldeep last featured in an ODI against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh last month but has struggled for opportunities during Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as head coach. The wrist-spinner remained on the sidelines throughout the three-match ODI series against England, even after Washington Sundar was ruled out with an injury. Instead, India opted for a four-man pace attack alongside Axar Patel as their lone spin-bowling all-rounder.

Reacting to the selection on social media, Mohammad Kaif questioned the team management’s approach and highlighted Kuldeep’s impressive ODI record.

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“Kuldeep Yadav should be thinking of packing his bags and saying goodbye to international cricket. Today there was no Bumrah, no Washington, no Varun, but Kuldeep still didn’t find a place in the XI. India’s bowling attack at Lord’s is one-dimensional and lacks variety. A left-arm wrist-spinner would have come in handy. Remember, he has 194 wickets in 118 ODIs. It seems these numbers don’t matter,” Mohamamad Kaif wrote on X.

Kuldeep Yadav should be thinking of packing his bags and saying goodbye to international cricket. Today there was no Bumrah, no Washington, no Varun but Kuldeep still didn’t find a place in 11. India’s bowling attack at Lord’s is one dimensional and lacks variety. A left-arm…

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) July 19, 2026

Kaif’s criticism gained further attention after India conceded a massive 387/3. Despite conditions offering assistance to the seamers early on, along with reverse swing later in the innings, the Indian bowling attack failed to consistently trouble England’s batters, while Axar Patel found little assistance from the surface.

At the toss, captain Shubman Gill defended the team’s combination, explaining that India preferred four fast bowlers because they believed pace would be more effective than spin during the middle overs.

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However, Kuldeep’s repeated omission has once again reignited debate over India’s team balance. With Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy unavailable, the management has preferred a conservative combination featuring an extra all-rounder rather than an attacking setup with a specialist wicket-taking spinner. As the 2027 ODI World Cup cycle gathers pace, Kuldeep Yadav’s future in India’s white-ball plans is becoming an increasingly hot topic.