India coach Gautam Gambhir looks on as Kuldeep Yadav, left, warms up before the start of play on day one of the Test match between Afghanistan and India in New Chandigarh, India, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo)
TimesofIndia.com in Chennai: There is no doubt that when the song is on, there is no better sight than Kuldeep Yadav bowling with these Chinese. The hop, hop, jump to the bowling crease, flight, and spins he delivers on the ball are a sight to behold.
But over the years, due to various reasons, he was never able to cement his place in the Indian team.Kuldeep’s case has always been a curious one. In the current ODI setup, he is the best bowler and is just six wickets away from reaching 200 ODI wickets. The 31-year-old has an exceptional record in this format. He has 194 wickets in 121 matches and takes a wicket every 31 balls. His economy rate is a little high, but he has always been India’s main option to take wickets in the middle overs.
In the ongoing series, Kuldeep played just one match in Lucknow and although he did not bowl badly, it was nowhere near the rhythm he had often batted in the past. Manav Suthar and Washington Sundar edged him in the one-off Test against Afghanistan and in the rain-curbed ODI in Dharamsala, Harsh Dubey was selected ahead of him.Ahead of the Chennai ODI, while India are expected to rotate their batting line-up and fielders, the onus will be on Kuldeep to find his groove.
Team India’s bowling coach, Siraj Bahotel, was in Kuldeep’s ear after almost every ball he bowled to Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma in the nets.Bahotel watched Kuldeep closely, be it his run, his load or the spins he imparted on the ball. Kuldeep is confident, and the team management must know that if India wants to do well in the middle overs in the 2027 ODI World Cup, a lot will depend on the Chinese pacer. No one in this bowling attack is as capable as Kuldeep of taking wickets against the run of play. Jasprit Bumrah can do that to an extent, but even he cannot be relied upon to provide those breakthroughs in the middle on a consistent basis like Kuldeep.
In the pre-match press conference, India assistant coach Ryan Ten Deutschat made it clear that the management will continue to support Kuldeep as they believe he remains India’s trump card.“The wicket is always there, and I thought he played well that night. He hasn’t had a sustained run of matches for a while, even in Test cricket, so there are no real concerns about him.” Douchet said of Kuldeep’s decline in form.“We always like to play wrist spinner or mystery spinner game. With the way the game is evolving, it is the responsibility of spinners to keep reinventing themselves. Kuldeep, along with the other players in the Test team, has put in a lot of work into the tactical side of the game and planning the batsmen.
I think Kuldeep is doing really well,” He added.The Chennai ODI may not decide Kuldeep Yadav’s future, but it could be the first step towards rediscovering the rhythm that made him India’s biggest wicket-taking weapon in the middle overs. With the road to the 2027 ODI World Cup only getting busier from here, India need to fire up their main pacer once again. Sooner rather than later.