The 2024 England tour of India, in which India won 4-1, produced some riveting cricket moments and unearthed some young talents and some forgotten ones from India. Alongside Ravichandran Ashwin's record of playing his 100th Test and picking 500 wickets, James Anderson’s 700th wicket and Bumrah’s best bowling average in Tests ranking after Sydney Barns – another bowler quietly came up with his best performance in a Test series and strongly claimed a permanent spot in the Indian team. That is Kuldeep Yadav.

Speaking exclusively with SportsBoom.com, the ex-India spin bowler turned cricket commentator Murali Kartik argues that Kuldeep should be a constant feature in every Test match and that the white ball spin bowling attack of India should revolve around him.

The 29-year-old left-arm wrist spinner from Uttar Pradesh, Kuldeep, who made his Test cricket in Dharamsala in 2017, concluded the series at the same scenic venue with a player-of-the-match performance. He claimed 9 wickets in the fifth Test, ending the series with a total of 19 wickets across 4 matches. His performance is statistically the second-best among all bowlers with the best bowling average and strike rate. 

Kuldeep was not picked up for the first Test in Hyderabad. In the pecking order, Kuldeep was the fourth spin option behind Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. A better batter than Kuldeep, Axar got the nod as the third spinner. Jadeja’s hamstring injury in the Hyderabad Test provided an opportunity for Kuldeep to play the second Test at Visakhapatnam.

Image Credit: BCCI

Kuldeep Yadav's contribution to cricket is commendable, particularly in red-ball cricket despite many omissions. His remarkable strike rate and average reflect his talent, comparable to cricketing greats. Kuldeep has played 12 Test matches in 7 years picking up 53 wickets. In Test cricket, only six bowlers have taken 50-plus wickets with an average below 25 and a strike rate below 40. Kuldeep is one among them. India has won 10 out of 12 Test matches when Kuldeep is part of the team, but at the same time, he has missed 56 matches for India.

Kuldeep’s versatility and attacking mindset make him a valuable asset in any format. His eagerness to perform well, coupled with his skilful bowling, positions him as a reliable wicket-taker in various situations, said Murali Kartik.

It has been hard for him to find a permanent spot in the playing 11 given India has two other outstanding spinners in Ashwin and Jadeja. Sometimes Kuldeep has been plain unlucky when comes to selection. Kuldeep picked up a five wicket haul in the 2019 tour of Australia in Sydney in January 2019. But he was not selected for the following Test series in West Indies. He picked up a five-wicket haul against Bangladesh in Chattogram in December 2022. He was dropped for the following Test at Dhaka. The next Test match he played was in Visakhapatnam two years later in 2024.

Expressing his disappointment in the inconsistency of picking Kuldeep in the side, Kartik said, it shouldn't be that when it comes to dropping somebody, it is always Kuldeep Yadav. He's the first one who gets sidelined. No, you don't want that.

The spin bowling strategy, particularly in white-ball cricket, should revolve around Kuldeep Yadav, similar to how the batting is structured around players like Kohli or Rohit Sharma. Yadav's versatility and effectiveness in various game situations make him a pivotal figure in shaping the team's spin bowling approach, said Kartik.

Image credit: BCCI