Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has criticised the Indian team management for leaving Kuldeep Yadav out of the playing XI during the ongoing T20I series against the West Indies. With the five-match series level at 2-2, India’s bowling combination has come under scrutiny ahead of the decisive fifth T20I in Bengaluru on October 17. Kuldeep made an impressive start to the series, claiming two wickets for 33 runs in the opening match as India secured a convincing victory.
However, the left-arm wrist-spinner endured a difficult outing in the second T20I, conceding 53 runs and taking one wicket in his four overs. India subsequently failed to defend a massive total of 249, suffering a surprising defeat. The 31-year-old was left out of the playing XI for the third and fourth matches, with India winning one and losing the other.
Michael Clarke believes the decision to sideline Kuldeep overlooks his biggest strength: the ability to take wickets and break partnerships in the middle overs. Speaking on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, Clarke questioned why Kuldeep was not considered India’s first-choice spinner across formats.
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He explained, “I’ve made my point clear about Kuldeep Yadav several times. I can’t believe he’s not their first-choice spinner. He’s a wicket-taker, and it doesn’t matter the format; you are looking to bowl the opposition out. Too many captains play by the rules of the game in T20s and ODIs. They just say Let the opposition get whatever they do, and we’ll chase, rather than looking to bowl the opposition out.”
Kuldeep’s overall T20I record strengthens the argument for his inclusion. He has taken 98 wickets in 56 matches at an average of 14.20 and an economy rate of 7.10, making him one of India’s most effective wicket-taking options in the shortest format.
Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricketer Shreevats Goswami has also urged India to bring Kuldeep back for the series decider. Goswami believes India have struggled because of an inexperienced bowling attack and cannot afford to sacrifice a proven spinner for additional batting depth.
“Kuldeep Yadav must play for India in the decider, come on guys. He played the first T20I and picked up two wickets and was impactful. In the second game, he gave away a lot of runs, but you cannot drop him for an extra batter or for Naman Dhir, who bowls off-spin and bats. If you don’t play him, you are losing the art of taking wickets in the middle overs. He has to play,” Shreevats Goswami said.
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He also pointed to the challenges facing India’s inexperienced pace attack, particularly on Bengaluru’s batting-friendly surface. “India has an inexperienced bowling lineup with Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav. It’s a very small ground in Bengaluru, so I won’t be surprised if it’s 250 vs 250 again. India needs to sort their bowling out. Naman Dhir has done well in patches, but you need an experienced spinner like Kuldeep Yadav.”
India will now face a crucial selection decision ahead of the final T20I. A defeat would also end their run of avoiding a home T20I series loss since Australia’s 2-0 victory in India in 2019, adding further pressure on the hosts to get their combination right.
