"What madness. The best spinner in India by a country mile in this format" - Twitter in shock as Kuldeep Yadav is dropped for IND vs IRE clashÂ
Team India have dropped a massive bombshell with their team selection by excluding Kuldeep Yadav from the playing XI for their 2024 T20 World Cup opening clash against Ireland. The match is set to begin at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Wednesday, June 5.
Kuldeep was deemed as an automatic pick in the team by the majority but found himself axed as India went with a seam-heavy attack and prioritized batting depth. The Men in Blue have fielded all of their pacers in the squad, while for the spin attack, they have named both all-rounders in the form of Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja.
Kuldeep Yadav was coming on the back of a brilliant 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season with the Delhi Capitals (DC) as well, which makes his exclusion even more surprising. The spinner had taken 16 wickets in 11 matches at an economy of 8.65.
Rohit Sharma confirmed during the toss that the left-arm spinner does not hold a place in the playing XI.
"We're going to bowl. Preparations have been alright. Have been managing ourselves in these new conditions. Has been challenging but we are all professionals. We played on a similar pitch and do know what to expect a little bit. I know it's going to be slightly different from what we're used to. But that's what the sport is. Not sure about the conditions too much, so thought having a target in front of us would be good. Guys missing out are Kuldeep, Sanju, Jaiswal and one more," the Indian skipper said after electing to bowl first
Fans lashed out at the Indian think-tank for making Kuldeep Yadav the scapegoat for their batting depth insecurities. Have a look at some of the reactions on Twitter:
"India dropped Kuldeep? What madness. Currently, the best spinner in India by a country mile in this format," one tweet read.
"Kuldeep out. This is a crime. Kuldeep, Bumrah & Kohli should be the first names in your T20 team sheet. Disgusting," one fan remarked.
"Did NOT see that coming," another tweet read.
Kuldeep Yadav bowled a couple of overs in the warm-up fixture against Bangladesh
Kuldeep Yadav was one of the eight bowlers used by Team India in the warm-up clash against Bangladesh at the same venue recently. He had bowled two overs, conceding 15 runs without a wicket to his name as the Men in Blue recorded a comfortable win.
The other spinners had performed better in that clash, but the general expectation was that Kuldeep Yadav would make it irrespective of how the bowlers fared in the practice game.