Kuldeep Yadav has emerged as one of India’s strike bowlers, particularly in white-ball cricket, having starred in the T20 World Cup 2024 and Champions Trophy 2025 triumphs. Kuldeep picked up 10 wickets in five matches at the former, and seven wickets in five games at the latter, as India went on to win both. However, Kuldeep was asked by former Australia captain Michael Clarke as to why he does not play all three formats of the game, to which the chinaman bowler gave a thoughtful answer.
While Kuldeep last played in a Test match for India as recently as October 2024, against New Zealand, he has not been a regular member of the side despite making his debut nearly eight years ago in the format.
Till date, Kuldeep has managed only 13 Test matches for India, picking up 56 wickets in them.
“Watching you recently in the Champions Trophy, I think you are bowling the best I’ve seen you bowl. I say it openly, and this is my personal opinion, but I think you should be playing all three formats for India. But I know it’s hard. You have a lot of spinners in front of you,” Clarke said, speaking on the Beyond23 cricket podcast.
Kuldeep gave a thoughtful reason for not being able to consistently play all three formats, also citing the treatment for his hernia injury, which had caused him to miss the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“I underwent a hernia surgery in November so it was very difficult to come back and find the same rhythm going,” Kuldeep said.
“I think I have been bowling really well from the last 3-4 years. After the injury, when I came back, what I wanted to change in my bowling was to understand the batter better. I always had the rhythm. A lot depends on the surface as well. I bowled really well in the Champions Trophy,” Kuldeep explained.
Kuldeep’s tally of seven wickets was two less than Varun Chakravarthy, who played two fewer games than him. However, Kuldeep explained that the wickets’ column didn’t always reflect how well someone bowled.
“We were playing with four spinners, so it was very difficult to get wickets. Someone may always pick more wickets than you. But I thought I was right on the target, bowling wicket-to-wicket and showing more variations,” Kuldeep said.
The chinaman made the difference in the final against New Zealand, picking up the wickets of Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson.
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