Former India cricket Sanjay Manjrekar wants the Indian team management to include Kuldeep Yadav in India’s playing XI for the upcoming second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur. Manjrekar, speaking after India’s victory in the first Test, expressed disappointment over Kuldeep’s exclusion in Chennai and highlighted the spinner’s value in Indian conditions.
Kuldeep, who has featured in 12 Tests since his debut in 2017, has amassed 53 wickets with consistent performances in key series, including a notable display against England earlier this year. In that series, he claimed 19 wickets in four matches and contributed crucial lower-order runs. However, despite his proven track record, the left-arm spinner was omitted from the first Test in Chennai, with India opting for a pace-heavy attack that included Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep.
Manjrekar criticized this decision, suggesting that India missed an opportunity by not playing Kuldeep, even though the Chennai pitch was expected to favor seamers early on. “I feel Kuldeep Yadav should not be dropped so easily. Even if it was not a turner, India would have benefited from playing him in Chennai because seamers get help for just one or one-and-a-half days on an Indian pitch. It starts supporting spinners after that, and when you have a bowler like Kuldeep Yadav, you should not keep him out this easily,” Manjrekar said in an interview with ESPNcricinfo.
As India prepared for the Kanpur Test, Manjrekar urged the team management to reconsider Kuldeep’s omission, irrespective of the pitch conditions. The cricketer-turned-commentator emphasized that even if the surface appears green initially, spinners often come into play after the first few hours, making Kuldeep a valuable asset alongside the other frontline spinners.
“India should go with this approach in Kanpur. Even if it’s a green top and the sun is out, they should keep in mind that the green top will be just for the first few hours, and Siraj and Bumrah are enough for that. When you have three proven spinners, you should play all of them,” Manjrekar added.
