95 wickets in 52 innings. A bowling average of 13.74 and an economy of 6.95. A spinner who takes 2 wickets in 4 overs, with a strike rate of 11.8. You’d assume this player is the world’s best spinner. Well, the unnamed cricketer described here is Kuldeep Yadav.
One of the best T20I spinners
The left-arm wrist spinner wasn’t even the number one choice spinner for India. That tells you how strong the Men in Blue were and why they were the hot favourites to win the T20 World Cup 2026.
Only one bowler, among full-member nations, in the history of T20I cricket has more wickets at a better average than Kuldeep. That’s Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan. The difference between their averages is 0.01. Mind you, the majority of Rashid’s wickets are against weaker oppositions like Ireland, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and the UAE.
Unfortunate to miss
However, Kuldeep unfortunately didn’t fit India’s bill. The modern approach adopted by captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir leaves no room for a 4th bowler. The Men in Blue opted for Varun Chakaravarthy over him, not just because he’s a more flexible spinner but also because of Kuldeep’s form in the lead-up against New Zealand.
It was clear that Kuldeep would also be used when the conditions were in favour of spinners. Otherwise, India would pick two frontline fast bowlers in Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh. All-rounders Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel would be the 4th and 5th bowlers. On some days, even Shivam Dube or Abhishek Sharma could act as the 6th option.
On point, when needed
Kuldeep finally got his chance in the biggest match of his career, the India vs Pakistan match. In Colombo, India opted for him over Arshdeep. The move worked wonders. Although the batters and fast bowlers had virtually sealed the match, Kuldeep came to further tighten the grip.
In his 3-over spell, Kuldeep went for just 14, bowling 8 dot balls. He also claimed the wicket of Mohammad Nawaz. But such was India’s performance that only Axar was bowled out. Although Varun lost his form from the Super 8 stage onwards, India backed him, just like Abhishek.
Perhaps Kuldeep could’ve been given a chance. But one can’t argue with the management’s reasoning. Since Varun was the first-choice spinner, he should be backed. Abhishek came off in the final, but Varun couldn’t. And that happens. However, it now means that Kuldeep could take over as the first-choice spinner the next time India plays a T20I series.
Kuldeep Yadav’s stats in T20 World Cup
| Matches | Overs | Wickets | Best Figures | Average | Economy | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 23 | 11 | 3/19 | 13.90 | 6.65 | 12.5 |
