India head coach Gautam Gambhir (left) with Kuldeep Yadav during a training session. (PTI photo) NEW DELHI: Kuldeep Yadav has requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to grant him time off for his wedding later this month. TOI understands that it is awaiting approval from the board. Due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan, he was forced to cancel his wedding event earlier in the year when the IPL ended later than the scheduled date.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!BCCI sources told TOI that Kuldeep sought leave in the last week of November. There has been debate over Kuldeep’s place in the playing eleven with left-armer Axar Patel battling for the role of third spinner in the two-Test series against South Africa, which begins in Kolkata on Friday.
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The second Test will be played in Guwahati from November 22. The first ODI against South Africa is in Ranchi on November 30. “Kuldeep’s wedding is planned for the last week of November. The team management will assess when they will need his services before giving him the exact number of holidays,” a BCCI source said.It will be interesting to see if Kuldeep finds a place in the playing eleven if the pitches offer an amazing turn at the start of the match. He was dropped for the entire domestic Test season last year when India played on turners. He also did not win a Test in England this year. The team management released him from the ODI squad in Australia to prepare for the Tests in South Africa by playing for India ‘A’ against South Africa ‘A’ in Bengaluru last week. He managed only one goal in this match. His inferior batting skills also stood in the way of his selection.
