Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta urged India to back Kuldeep Yadav and give him more game time in the ongoing ODI series vs England, saying the left-arm spinner is struggling with confidence and needs support from the team management.
Dasgupta, speaking to Sports Today on the eve of the 2nd ODI, pointed out that Kudeep was expensive in the series opener but said the Kolkata Knight Riders spinner can only improve if he gets game time at the highest level.
“I would like to see Kuldeep for, at least, another game because, as it is, he has been struggling…he is struggling with confidence. We can see, he hasn’t played much international cricket in the last couple of years. We can see that he is trying hard so all I will say is, maybe, they should back him a bit. I know, he went for a few [runs] as well in the last game,” Dasgupta said.
Kuldeep has been warming the benches more often than not despite getting to travel with Team India. Kuldeep did not get a game in Australia even as India witnessed an unprecedented number of players suffering injuries in the 4-Test series. Kuldeep got an opportunity against England in the Test series but he did not make a big impact.
Kuldeep has not played T20Is since February 2020 but he made his comeback to the ODI squad in Australia. Kuldeep was picked ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal in the first ODi against England on Tuesday but the wrist-spinner was far from impressive.
Kuldeep gave away 68 runs in 9 overs as he struggled to find the right lines and lengths against the power-packed England attack. India pacers did the most of the damage, picking up 9 out of the 10 English wickets in the series opener. India restricted England to 251 after posting 317 to seal a 66-run win and a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series.
