3 reasons why Kuldeep Yadav will be a big miss for BGT 2024-25
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named an 18-member squad for the five-match Border Gavaskar Trophy and some familiar faces were excluded from the squad. Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s name was missing from the squad and it came as a real shocker as he has been in sublime form ever since returning to international cricket.
Kuldeep was part of the playing XI in the first Test against New Zealand and bagged some crucial wickets to derail the visitors. However, he had to make way for Washington Sundar in the second Test.
It is worth noting that Kuldeep wasn't dropped from the BGT bound squad. He wasn't available for selection as the board has referred him to the BCCI Centre of Excellence for a long-term solution to the left groin strain issue, which has hurt him for quite a while now.
With Mohammed Shami and Axar Patel also not making the cut, we saw some new faces like Abhimanyu Easwaran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Harshit Rana making the cut.
It still looks a strong India side but things won't be the same after losing their first Test series at home in twelve years. They have been jolted severely in the World Test Championship points table. India desperately needs to win at least three games in Australia and Kuldeep’s absence could hamper their chances of winning their third consecutive Test series in Australia.
Having said that, let us have a look at three possible reasons why Kuldeep Yadav is a big miss for BGT 2024-2025.
#3 Left-arm wrist spinners are a rarity in world cricket
What makes this art very very special is not many in the world can bowl left-arm leg spin. Termed as left arm chinaman/unorthodox, this set of bowlers has the ability to break open a game at any juncture of the game.
Ever since returning to the Indian side, Kuldeep has taken his game to a whole new level and has bamboozled batters even on pitches which haven't been that conducive for spinners.
Being a left-arm wrist spinner is never easy but Kuldeep has managed to permanently cement a spot in all three Indian squads. He hasn't been a regular feature in the Indian Test XI but his recent numbers suggest that his absence could be a big factor.
#2 Kuldeep Yadav’s style of bowling is perfect for Australian conditions
At the beginning of his career, Kuldeep used to deceive batters with his guile and deception. He hardly had quicker deliveries to back his slowish deceptive ones and once he was a couple of years into his international career, batters started deciphering his trajectory and started playing him on the backfoot
It resulted in Kuldeep being found ineffective and resulted in his exclusion from all forms of the game. He had to work extremely hard in putting a lot more energy into his bowling action. Since his return to the Indian squad, it was visible that there was a change in his bowling rhythm.
He became a lot more nippier off the surface and developed some new deliveries to deceive the batters. His average speed has increased considerably which would have been very effective in Australian conditions.
Kuldeep might not have played all five Tests in Australia but had the chance to excel in pitches with a bit of extra bounce and drop.
#3 Kuldeep would have had happy memories from his only Test in Australia
Not many overseas spinners have made a massive impact on Australian conditions, especially in the recent past. Ravichandran Ashwin has another 500 Test wickets while Ravindra Jadeja has more than 300. However, none of these two bowlers have ever managed to bag a five-wicket haul in Tests in Australia.
However, Kuldeep Yadav just took one match to get into the fifer column. Back in 2019, Kuldeep was included for the fourth and final Test in Sydney and bagged a memorable fifer in the first innings. His fifer included some big names which resulted in India dominating the game.
He bagged six wickets in the match and took to Australian conditions like fish to water. Having made a sensational turnaround in his career, Kuldeep would have hoped to make an impact in the upcoming BGT but unfortunately, he has been ruled out of the series which could be a massive jolt for India