Former England captain Michael Vaughan has suggested that India should consider including Kuldeep Yadav in their playing XI for the T20 World Cup semi-final against England, citing the wrist spinner’s strong record against England’s batsmen.
India have largely stuck to a consistent bowling combination throughout the tournament, relying on Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel as their main spin options, with Washington Sundar testing and delaying the group stages. The spinners provided enough support to the spearmen Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.
However, Kuldeep has made only one appearance in the tournament so far. His solitary appearance came against Pakistan where he returned impressive figures of 1 for 14.
Vaughan said on CricBuzz that the wrist on the left arm could be a a valuable option against the England batting line-up.
“I would play Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep has toasted England over the years in any format. He has always been a bowler, England have struggled to pick. Do you need Tilak Varma or Shivam Dube in the order? I would play left-arm instead against this England batting line-up. We don’t know if Kuldeep will have a good game against England. India,” said Vaughan.
However, Vaughan also acknowledged that India may prefer to maintain the existing balance rather than make a late change ahead of the knockout clash.
“But Gautam Gambhir’s history is generally loaded with the bat. He sets up T20 teams where you have really strong insurance at 7, 8 and 9. So what I’m saying is potentially not going to happen, but it would be worth playing Kuldeep against this England batting line-up.” Kuldeep played only once in this T20 World Cup. (Photo: PTI)
WHY SHOULD KULDEEP PLAY VS ENGLAND?
Vaughan’s suggestion is largely based on Kuldeep’s impressive record against England in T20 Internationals.
In all his appearances against England, the wrister took eight wickets while conceding just 77 runs from 12 overs, maintaining an economy rate of 6.41. His variation and ability to deflect the ball away from right-handers has historically plagued England’s aggressive batting line-up.
Despite these numbers, India preferred to continue with their existing spin combination in the T20 World Cup, using Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel as their primary options. Will Kuldeep be a surprise entry for the India XI vs. England? (PTI photo)
With a place in the finals at stake, it remains to be seen whether captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir will stick with their established formula or consider introducing Kuldeep as a tactical change against England.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
05 March 2026 09:03 IST
