Photo via The Times of India

‘Unfair’ treatment of Kuldeep Yadav? Ashwin fears another benching on NZ tour

Indian off-spinner Kuldeep Yadav continues to face inconsistent selection under the current team management, despite his track record of delivering results. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin criticized the approach, arguing that blaming Yadav for poor performances in unfavorable conditions is unjust.

He pointed to Yadav’s struggles in the second T20I against the West Indies in Ranchi, where he conceded 53 runs in just six overs during a 250-run chase, as an example of the bowler being unfairly sidelined. With Hardik Pandya still recovering from injury, Ashwin expects Varun Chakravarthy to be preferred over Yadav for the upcoming New Zealand tour, though Chakravarthy’s own fitness concerns—including a side strain—could complicate his availability.

Ashwin also warned that India’s squad selection might again prioritize batting depth over specialist bowling, potentially leaving out attacking spin options despite the presence of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. The veteran emphasized that if four frontline seamers are chosen, the focus should remain on selecting genuine wicket-takers rather than compromising the bowling attack for lower-order batting strength.

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Kuldeep has been treated unfairly, feels Ashwin