R Ashwin Slams Treatment Of Kuldeep Yadav, Expects Him To Be Benched For NZ T20Is

Ashwin fears kuldeep could be benched for NZ T20Is [Source: AFP]

Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin reckons that Kuldeep Yadav, who has been out of favour in the Indian white-ball setup, could once again be benched for the upcoming New Zealand T20I games. The legendary bowler feels the treatment given to Kuldeep by the management has been “unfair”.

The wily spinner was dropped by the management from the playing XI after the second T20I in Ranchi against the West Indies, where he picked up a solitary wicket but also conceded 53 runs.

Ashwin fears Kuldeep could be benched for New Zealand T20Is

R Ashwin asserted that judging by how things have panned out for Kuldeep in recent matches, he could be on the bench for the New Zealand matches.

"Kuldeep has produced results over the years and it is unfair to pin the blame on one bowler when conditions are against him. He hasn't been the go-to option under this management, which is unfortunate," Ashwin said.

"With Hardik Pandya not yet back, I expect Varun Chakravarthy to get the nod ahead of Kuldeep (in New Zealand), though it will be interesting to see how he returns from his side strain," the legendary bowler added.

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Ashwin also fears that for the New Zealand tour, India might once again prioritise batting depth over a quality bowling attack.

Kuldeep dropped from playing XI vs West Indies

In the recently concluded West Indies T20Is, the wily spinner only played two matches before facing an axe from the team. He picked up 2 for 33 in Lucknow, followed by 1/53 in Ranchi, before the team dropped him from the playing XI for the remainder of the series.

Even on wickets conducive to spinners, the left-arm bowler was not selected as India went ahead with an extra pacer.

Indian management has not trusted Kuldeep across formats

Despite being a genuine wicket-taker for India across formats, Kuldeep Yadav has hardly been trusted by the management. Having made his Test debut in 2017, Kuldeep has only played 19 red-ball games for India.

Even in ODIs, things have remained the same despite him taking in excess of 200 wickets in this format. India’s current team management prefers all-rounders over specialised bowlers, and this has dented Kuldeep’s chances of getting regular playtime.

Even on spin-friendly wickets, India have gone in with other spinners, over Kuldeep, who is a specialised wicket-taker.

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