Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin slammed the team management over the use of star India spinner Kuldeep Yadav after the T20I series against New Zealand. Team India won the five-match series 3-2. Ashwin was perplexed by the fact that Kuldeep did not play a single match in the entire T20I series. Looking at how they benched him, he added that it
would be a similar case in the upcoming ODI series as well.

“I will not be surprised if they don’t play him. He has to. But the way they are using him, it is quite crazy. If you have to take one spinner to South Africa, it has to be Kuldeep,” he said on ‘Ash ki Baat’. “94% of Daryl Mitchell’s runs have been on the leg-side. And if this was once, it’s fine. In five T20Is on the trot, India were not able to bowl wide. Let that sink in. This is international cricket. It is a big thing. I would be really concerned. The way they have used spinners as well. Mitchell Santner was the highest wicket-taker in his series. We have not backed Kuldeep at all. You can say he also got hit, but he is a confidence bowler. If he does not play, he will not give you the best possible result.”

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However, Ravichandran Ashwin also shared that India needs to find a wicket-taking spinner if they do not want to play Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy in overseas matches as well. Varun, who returned from injury, also played just one match in the entire series.

“Varun has done well too. He did not play four games in this series. He is coming back from injury. How will you bring him back into form? He looked up and down, but that can happen after returning from injury. We need to get him back at his best. If that is not happening, what are your other options for spin? Who is your wicket-taking spinner?” R Ashwin concluded.