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India’s huge defeat of 125 runs in the third T20 match against England has raised many questions on the team selection. After the shameful defeat at Trent Bridge, great spinner Anil Kumble has openly raised questions on the team management for making too many changes in the playing eleven.
Kumble was really surprised to see Kuldeep Yadav out of the T20 team. The former Indian head coach feels that the left-arm wrist spinner has been treated unfairly after just one poor IPL season. Meanwhile, KL Rahul’s T20I comeback has received support after India’s defeat to England in the third game.
India had a very poor performance with the bat in the third T20 match. While chasing the target of 202 runs, the Indian batsmen completely failed and were out for just 76 runs in 11.4 overs. It was India’s biggest defeat by runs in T20I history and gave England a 2-0 lead in the ongoing five-match T20I series.
Anil Kumble criticizes Indian selectors for dropping Kuldeep Yadav after a poor IPL
After the crushing defeat, Anil Kumble said that a bad IPL season should not decide the future of any player. He also stressed that a player who has won many matches for India should not be dropped so easily.
The great spinner has reminded everyone that Kuldeep Yadav was a vital member of India’s ICC T20 World Cup-winning team in both the 2024 and 2026 editions.
Kumble said the spinner is not a part of the upcoming Zimbabwe tour after being ignored for the England tour and it is a clear indication that the selectors have moved on from the chinaman bowler.
Kumble says India made a big mistake by dropping Kuldeep Yadav after England’s defeat.
“Kuldeep Yadav has definitely not had a good IPL season, but he is a champion bowler. He should have been a part of the squad for this England tour,” Anil Kumble said on GeoHotstar’s ‘Match Center Live’.
“He was part of the team that won the T20 World Cup, and now he is not part of the team here in England and not part of the team going to Zimbabwe. So yes, that means they have moved on from Kuldeep after just one bad IPL season.”
Kumble also believes that every cricketer goes through ups and downs, but he should be given time and support instead of dropping him after a few poor performances. Earlier, Moeen Ali made a bold ruling on the ‘Impact Player’ rule after India’s batting failure in the third T20I.
The former head coach further added, “I definitely feel that when you pick players, you need to keep supporting them. Ups and downs are an integral part of life. They keep happening, but it does not mean that you will be dropped from the team because of failure.”
Anil Kumble sent a strong message to Team India regarding Kuldeep Yadav.
The former Indian head coach said that Kuldeep is only 31 years old and has many years of cricket left in him, and urged the team management to show more faith in the wrist spinner and nurture him.
He signed off by saying, “I think it’s also important to say, ‘Okay, who are your main bowlers and who are your bowlers who have performed well?’ It is not that Kuldeep is 38 years old and you are looking to bring in the next young player.”
“He is 31, he has a lot of cricket to offer and he doesn’t play all three formats regularly. He doesn’t play much Test cricket, so it’s not like there is a burden on him and he needs to be rested. He needs to play.”