England-raised Kuldeep Yadav signs for Yorkshire for one-dayers and County

Left out of India’s playing XI during the recent ODI series in England and omitted from the upcoming T20I tour of Zimbabwe, Kuldeep Yadav has secured a high-profile contract with County Championship side Yorkshire.

The 31-year-old has signed as an overseas player for the White Rose, where he will initially feature in five One Day Cup games before returning for three of the final four Yorkshire County Championship games in September.

Kuldeep goes straight into the Yorkshire squad for Friday’s 50-over-50 game against Glamorgan at Neath, offering the player immediate game time after a frustrating bench during India’s 1-2 ODI series defeat against England. Despite his proven track record in white-ball cricket, the Indian team management took a decision don’t put him in any of the three matches, a decision that drew sharp criticism from several pundits and former cricketers who questioned the rationale behind the dismissal of the first match-winner on English pitches.

Kuldeep was overlooked in the series finale as well, despite the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. India opted for four frontline pacers instead, a decision that backfired as they conceded 387 runs in 50 overs at Lord’s.

With India opting to rest key senior players for the upcoming T20I assignment in Zimbabwe, Kuldeep took the opportunity to get valuable kilometers in English conditions. The initial 50-over stint with Yorkshire serves as key preparation before he rejoins the national team for India’s two-Test series in Sri Lanka scheduled for August.

After the Test series in Sri Lanka, Kuldeep will fly back to Headingley to lead the Yorkshire spin during the crucial final stretch of September’s County Championship.

ENGLISH CHALLENGE

Kuldeep expressed his excitement at the deal and emphasized his eagerness to contribute to the Yorkshire campaign across both formats.

“I am truly delighted to be joining Yorkshire and grateful for this opportunity. It will be a real privilege to represent a club with a proud Yorkshire history,” Kuldeep said in an official statement.

“I have always enjoyed playing in English conditions and after speaking to the management I was really excited to join the team and look forward to making a positive contribution during my time at Headingley.”

Yorkshire management welcomed the acquisition and expected dry tracks in the late summer across England to play right into their hands.

“Kuldeep is the ultimate international quality player who will add incredible strength to our squad for these blocks of matches,” said Gavin Hamilton, General Manager of Cricket Yorkshire. “Given the dry summer we’ve had, we expect spin to play an important role during the closing stages of the season. Kuldeep gives us an extra dimension with his left-arm wrist spin and brings a wealth of experience at the highest level.”

For Kuldeep, the Headingley stint provides both immediate rhythm in the One-Day Cup and essential multi-day match practice ahead of a demanding subcontinental Test tour and the final leg of England’s domestic season.

– The end

Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

22 Jul 2026 15:03 IST