Indian leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav is currently leading the wicket charts in the ongoing continental cup, picking up 7 wickets so far. The southpaw was named Player of the Match in both of India's games.
However, just a few months ago, Kuldeep was warming the bench during India’s tour of England in 2025. Despite being projected as India’s second spinner on multiple occasions, he never made it into the playing XI. Fans and experts questioned the decision, but Kuldeep had to wait through the entire series without a chance to prove himself.
Kuldeep on England Snub: "It Was About Combination, Not Skill"
Speaking about that tour, Kuldeep revealed that team combination and conditions kept him out of contention.
“Gauti was very straightforward. Sometimes, I felt that I could play, but as you know, because of the batting depth, I couldn't. But it was nothing about skill or batting. I couldn't make a place because of the conditions or the combination."
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He also pointed out that the team’s focus on batting depth played a key role in his exclusion.
"You should always work on batting. But it is just that bowling is my strength. If I play in any team, I will play as a bowler. My job is to take wickets. If I don't take wickets, there will be no space.”
Kuldeep: “You Learn More When You Don’t Play”
Looking ahead, Kuldeep spoke positively about the phase when he wasn't playing and how it helped him focus on fitness and bowling rhythm.
"It was a very good time for me to work on myself, to improve my fitness, and to give more volume to bowling because it is very important. I learned a lot. As a player, you learn a lot when you don't play. When the team reacts to situations, you can judge from the outside. You get a lot of ideas about what you would do, how you'd react if you were in that situation. I got a lot of ideas from there.
"After that, I played the Duleep Trophy match. I was wicketless. I bowled 35 overs. My rhythm was set there, and it was very important for me to bowl there.”
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Kuldeep closed his thoughts by highlighting the importance of patience, mindset, and consistent effort—especially during the low phases of a cricketer's journey.
"There are two ways. The player chooses which way he wants to go. But it is very important that you keep working hard, don't leave anything, and always keep playing. The game of cricket it always shows you good days and bad days. But if you don't play, you have time to work on yourself and become a better player when you get a chance.”
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