Former India opener Abhinav Mukund has questioned how the team management has handled Kuldeep Yadav during the ODI series against England, saying the wrist-spinner deserves far more clarity about his role in the current setup. Mukund believes Kuldeep is no longer a young prospect waiting for a break, but an established international cricketer who should know exactly where he stands in India’s plans.
His comments came after India left Kuldeep out of the third ODI at Lord’s on Sunday, July 19, even with Washington Sundar unavailable because of injury. Instead, India went in with four pacers, excluding Jasprit Bumrah, who was not fit for selection, along with spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel. The decision raised eyebrows, especially after England dominated large parts of the match.
Speaking on Cricinfo, Mukund said India has not given Kuldeep enough certainty across formats over the last couple of years. He felt the spinner has repeatedly found himself on the edge of selection despite his experience and match-winning potential.
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“I just believe that there should be clarity involved in terms of Kuldeep Yadav. He’s not a rookie anymore. He’s been around for a very long time and now he finds himself on the fringe in every format. He’s not the preferred spinner in Test, ODI or T20 and I think it’s about time that there is some clarity given as to what the kind of role he is going to play in this particular setup. I think it’s been a little harsh on him this entire tour,” Abhinav Mukund said.
India’s bowling performance at Lord’s made the selection debate even louder. Gurnoor Brar was taken apart for 97 runs in his 10 overs, while Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav also went for more than 70 runs each. Prasidh Krishna picked up two wickets but conceded 69, as England piled on the pressure.
Mukund further said India needs greater conviction from the captain-coach pair when finalising combinations, especially with the 2027 ODI World Cup cycle already in focus. He argued that if India are committed to a certain template, they must back it fully and pick the squad accordingly.
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“If India are going to continuously play this combination, I think there needs to be a conviction between captain and coach and select 15 accordingly. Because if you’re going to play with no all-rounders in the side, then the balance is a little off. Bilateral series losses happen but India need to fix this combination before 2027,” Abhinav Mukund added.
India’s next ODI assignment is against the West Indies at home in September-October, and the series is likely to bring more scrutiny over selection balance and Kuldeep Yadav’s place in the XI.
