Kuldeep Yadav Benched Again: Twitter Reacts

The absence of left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the Indian playing XI for the first Test against England in Hyderabad has sparked a debate among cricket enthusiasts. Despite being hailed as a promising talent, Kuldeep finds himself on the sidelines once again, with Axar Patel preferred for his all-round abilities.

India’s captain Rohit Sharma acknowledged the tough decision, stating, “It was a tough one (to leave out Kuldeep Yadav). Axar has done well and bats really well in these conditions. Probably the reason we went with Axar.”

Kuldeep Yadav last featured in a Test match during India’s tour of Bangladesh in late 2022, where he impressed with eight wickets. However, his opportunities in red-ball cricket have been limited, especially with the dominance of Ashwin and Jadeja in home conditions and India often opting for only one spinner in overseas Tests.

Fans took to Twitter to express their views on Kuldeep’s exclusion, with many expressing disappointment at his continued absence from the playing XI. Despite making an impressive start to his Test career in 2017, Kuldeep has played only eight Tests, with his last appearance in a Test match at home dating back to three years ago against England in Chennai.

Twitter Reacts

Overall, Kuldeep has taken 34 wickets in eight Tests at an average of 21.56 and an economy rate of 3.44, showcasing his potential as a wicket-taking spinner.

As the five-match series unfolds, the question remains whether Kuldeep Yadav will get an opportunity to showcase his skills. Cricket fans are eager to see if the left-arm spinner will be given a chance to contribute to India’s campaign against England.

The playing XI for the first Test includes:

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (C), Ben Foakes (WK), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Jack Leach

India: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, KS Bharat (WK), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah

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