‘Common sense missing’: R Ashwin slams India management over Kuldeep Yadav’s dismissal

R Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav Former India spinner R Ashwin has criticized the team management for dropping Kuldeep Yadav during the ongoing T20I series against the West Indies, questioning the decision to leave out the wrist-spinner who has troubled the visiting batsmen.Kuldeep featured in the first two matches in Lucknow and Ranchi before being left out of the playing XI for the Indore and Hyderabad games. He returned figures of 2/33 in the opening T20I but conceded 53 runs in the second match which India lost.India’s bowling concerns continued in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad, where West Indies piled up 247 runs in 20 overs to secure a 24-run win. Reacting to Kuldeep’s omission, Ashwin said he did not understand why the team management had seemingly lost faith in the spinner.“It’s very surprising because I know on a ground where you expect some bounce, it hasn’t always been a happy hunting ground for the spinner, but the West Indies batsmen are trying to find his googly and legs,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.He questioned the logic behind Kuldeep’s exclusion against an opposition that found it difficult to read his variations, adding: “So if you are leaving Kuldeep out against them, it lacks a bit of common sense.”Ashwin also highlighted the potential impact of Kuldeep’s presence, suggesting that the spinner could have helped limit the West Indies’ total. “It’s very surprising because I think his presence could have made a difference of 15-20 runs,” he said.

‘I was surprised’: Ashwin

While Ashwin acknowledged that keeping Kuldeep in Indore was understandable given the country’s small size, he rejected the suggestion that the spinner’s performance was to blame for India’s defeat in Ranchi.“I was surprised. Kuldeep was not picked in Indore and still I would support the decision because I understand the ground is small,” Ashwin explained.However, he disagreed with attributing the Ranchi defeat to Kuldeep, stating, “But you are almost making an issue out of it by suggesting that India’s loss in Ranchi was due to Kuldeep. That in itself is wrong.”Kuldeep had earlier impressed during India’s ODI series against the West Indies earlier in the month, taking seven wickets in three matches to become India’s leading wicket-taker in the series.With the T20I contest level at 2–2, India and West Indies will face each other in the fifth and final match in Bengaluru.