"Not The Wisest": Shubman Gill, Gautam Gambhir Blasted By R Ashwin For Not Picking Kuldeep Yadav
Despite being in good form, left-arm chinaman spinner Kuldeep Yadav did not feature for India in their first two ODIs against Australia.
- R Ashwin questioned the Shubman Gill, Gautam Gambhir-led Indian team management on not picking Kuldeep Yadav
- Kuldeep did not feature for India in their first two ODIs against Australia Down Under
- "This Australian batting lineup hasn't seen Kuldeep before. So leaving him out is not the wisest call": Ashwin
Team India's selection for their ODI series against Australia Down Under has come under criticism from several experts and former players, particularly regarding the omission of left-arm chinaman spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the playing XI for both ODIs. With India losing both games and therefore conceding series defeat, legendary former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has once again questioned the decision to leave Kuldeep out of the playing XI. Speaking on his own YouTube channel, Ashwin provided the example of Australian wrist-spinner Adam Zampa to justify why Kuldeep should've been picked.
Ashwin questioned the decision taken by the Indian team management, which is led by captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir.
"Think about it, has Cooper Connolly ever faced Kuldeep? Matthew Short, maybe here and there. Alex Carey has faced him but struggled. Mitchell Owen hasn't played against him at all," Ashwin stated, speaking on his Hindi channel 'Ash ki Baat'.
"This Australian batting lineup hasn't seen Kuldeep before. Historically, everyone who faces him early on struggles. So leaving him out is not the wisest call. I hope he gets a game in Sydney (venue for the third ODI)," Ashwin added.
"Axar Patel and Washington Sundar both took wickets, so we can't fault their efforts. But the key is taking wickets. Look at Adam Zampa - he took four wickets, and his ball spins too. Harshit Rana has contributed with both bat and ball, but Kuldeep offers something extra. He's a proven wicket-taker," Ashwin further said.
Kuldeep's omission has left many by surprise given the rich vein of form he was in ahead of the ODI series. Not only was Kuldeep a major contributor to India's Champions Trophy 2025 victory earlier this year, but he was also the leading wicket-taker in India's Asia Cup 2025 triumph and took the most wickets in their recently-concluded Test series against the West Indies.
India take on Australia in the third ODI in Sydney on Saturday, October 25.
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Australia vs India 2025
Ravichandran Ashwin
Gautam Gambhir
Shubman Gill
Kuldeep Yadav
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