Kuldeep Yadav's Absence in England Tests "Costly," Asia Cup Spot Uncertain, Says Maninder Singh

The art of left-arm wrist spin was a rarity in India until Kuldeep Yadav’s rise at the 2014 Under-19 World Cup, where he finished as joint second-highest wicket-taker with 14 scalps in six innings. Strong domestic and IPL performances soon earned him a spot in the Indian side, where his variations left batters baffled.

Eight years on, Kuldeep has become a proven match-winner, central to India’s 4-1 Test series win over England in 2024, the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph, and the Champions Trophy 2025 success. His 3/19 in the T20 World Cup semi-final against England, including Harry Brook’s wicket, and his double strike against Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson in the Champions Trophy final, were tournament-defining spells.

The left-arm spinner registered figures of 3/19 in the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final against England, which included the big wicket of Harry Brook. Later in the Champions Trophy 2025 final, he destroyed New Zealand's momentum, dismissing Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson in quick succession.

Yet recently, Kuldeep has spent more time on the bench, with team management favouring bowlers who can contribute with the bat.

Former India spinner Maninder Singh said Kuldeep would have made the difference in the recent series in England, claiming that India could have won the series 3-1 instead of settling for a 2-2 draw. India benched Kuldeep throughout the series despite conditions in a couple of venues favouring spinners.

“If they had played Kuldeep in the Test matches in England, India would have won the series 3-1," the 60-year-old told IndiaToday.in in New Delhi.

"Chasing 371 in the fourth innings, with the kind of bowlers you had, was always going to happen. But if you had Kuldeep Yadav in your side, I think in England we were selecting teams so that we don’t lose. If we were selecting the team to win, then Kuldeep Yadav would have played all five Test matches because there are not many of that breed in world cricket.

"The English batters wouldn’t have known what he was doing. They wouldn’t have read his googlies or leg-spinners. In the first Test match, they chased 371. There was no chance if he was playing on the fourth evening and fifth day that England could have chased,” he added.

Furthermore, Maninder expressed concern that Kuldeep may also miss out on the playing XI in the upcoming Asia Cup, with the management likely to favour Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy instead.

“I doubt if they’re going to play Kuldeep Yadav if they’re going to play two spinners in the Asia Cup. It’s going to be Axar Patel because he can bat as well and Varun Chakravarthy,” he added.

VARUN TO RECREATE MAGIC IN DUBAI

Over the past year, Indian cricket has witnessed a remarkable comeback, as Varun Chakravarthy has finally lived up to his billing as a mystery spinner at the international level. Since his return, the wrist-spinner has been the leading wicket-taker in T20Is among full-member nations, claiming 31 wickets in 12 innings at an average of 11.25 and an economy rate of 7.58.

Building on his T20I success, Chakravarthy also forced his way into the ODI side, where he played a pivotal role in India’s Champions Trophy 2025 triumph. He finished as the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker, with nine scalps in just three matches.

Maninder Singh backed Chakravarthy to turn out to be India’s X factor in the Asia Cup 2025, calling him a smart bowler.

“He’s a material somebody, who’s very smart, not many of that breed in world cricket. So I feel that he’s going to be very effective amongst the three Indian spinners in the Asia Cup. He’s a very smart bowler. He knows how to bowl in different situations and reads batters very well. He may look blank on the outside, but he’s a real thinker,” said the former left-arm spinner.

INDIA SQUAD FOR ASIA CUP T20

Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.