- ‘Let him play domestic cricket’ – Venkatathy Raju questions Kuldeep Yadav’s role in Indian team Venkatathy Raju has criticized the team management’s proach towards Kuldeep Yadav and demanded either constant playing opportunities or domestic cricket time to keep the left wrist spinner fit.
- ‘Let him play domestic cricket’ – Venkatathy Raju questions Kuldeep Yadav’s role in the Indian team (Photo source: Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via ) Kuldeep Yadav was unused during India’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which the visitors won 3-2.
- The left-arm spinner’s absence from the starting XI caught the attention of former India coach Venkatathy Raju, who expressed concerns over the player’s lack of game time despite being selected in all three formats.
‘Let him play domestic cricket’ – Venkatathy Raju questions Kuldeep Yadav’s role in Indian team Venkatathy Raju has criticized the team management’s proach towards Kuldeep Yadav and demanded either constant playing opportunities or domestic cricket time to keep the left wrist spinner fit.
‘Let him play domestic cricket’ – Venkatathy Raju questions Kuldeep Yadav’s role in the Indian team (Photo source: Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via ) Kuldeep Yadav was unused during India’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which the visitors won 3-2. The left-arm spinner’s absence from the starting XI caught the attention of former India coach Venkatathy Raju, who expressed concerns over the player’s lack of game time despite being selected in all three formats. Raju addressed the broader issue of Kuldeep’s role in the team and the team management’s proach towards rotation and player development, particularly in the context of the preparation for the upcoming ODI World Cup.
Raju expressed surprise at how the team handled Kuldeep’s selection and playing time. “It’s surprising. We are all former cricketers sitting here.
We make comments and then have our own interactions. If you take Kuldeep, why don’t you play him? We all know that wrist spinners are a great asset in white-ball cricket, right?
And then when we have him in all three formats and he’s on the bench, that’s pretty surprising. Or you allow him to play domestic cricket. Because every player – wrist, left arm, whatever – the more games he plays, the more control he has,” he told NDTV Sports.
The former coach also questioned why a player of this caliber would be picked across multiple formats but rarely allowed to contribute on the field. “Because now we already see Team New Zealand batters or any batter playing against India. Nowadays they just attack because we don’t have any variations now. The cability is there, but the variations are missing in the current configuration.
That’s why I think we need to give Kuldeep more and more chances. Because we are trying different medium-paced bowlers. But I think they lack that experience.
So I think if you go for Kuldeep, he should play. We could lose a few games,” he added. “But when he plays in these difficult situations in international games, he can be one of those who can adt.
Because he hardly plays any domestic cricket and hardly any international cricket. So, as a spinner, I am very surprised that he was not used in five T20 games and did not find a match, especially after the series win,” Raju said. Despite his selection, why isn’t Kuldeep playing?
Raju’s concerns center on the impact of limited game exposure on a spinner’s development and effectiveness. In the last 24 months, India has played 35 matches in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) under the current team management. Kuldeep only featured in three of those games, a statistic that underlines his minimal chances in the crucial conditions abroad, where wrist spinners usually play a crucial role.
“Even now we are sometimes really surprised. Why is Kuldeep in the team? We all know he is a brilliant bowler and hardly bowls.
But they pick him in all three formats – T20, 50 and Test matches. But it practically doesn’t matter, because the wrist twister plays a very important role. We all know that, don’t we,” he added.
“Then he has to play more games to get fit. So in terms of experience, we don’t have to worry about (Virat) Kohli or Rohit (Sharma) – as long as they are fit enough, they are always an asset to a team,” Raju added. Raju’s stance reflects a broader debate in Indian cricket circles about team management and player development strategy.
The coach’s argument suggests that Kuldeep should either get consistent playing time in international matches or improve his fitness through domestic cricket. This proach would ensure he remains alert and ready to handle high-pressure situations in upcoming tournaments, rather than remaining on the bench across multiple formats.
