R Ashwin questions Kuldeep Yadav’s omission, says repeated insults ‘can affect confidence’

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has strongly questioned the team management’s handling of Kuldeep Yadav (Image: IANS) Ravichandran Ashwin has questioned India’s continued omission of Kuldeep Yadav, warning that the left-armer’s prolonged absence from the playing XI could dent his confidence and rhythm.Kuldeep was again left out of the Indian side for the third and final ODI against England at Lord’s on Sunday despite the visitors missing two front-line bowling options. Pace pacer Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out with a knee injury while all-rounder Washington Sundar was unavailable after suffering a hamstring injury. Still, the Indian team management opted for a quick attack with four fast bowlers and only one specialist spinner in Axar Patel, leaving Kuldeep out.Reacting to the decision, former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed sympathy for Kuldeep and suggested that repeated omissions could negatively affect the spinner’s confidence.“The only defense for not playing Kuldeep is usually that the batting ends at No. 7. I wonder what it’s like to have Arshdeep at No. 8 today! Add to that Bumrah’s absence and Kuldeep can only feel bad. Trust me it can affect a bowler’s rhythm and confidence,” Ashwin wrote on X.Kuldeep has now missed all three ODIs of India’s tour of England after being rested for the previous T20I series as well. His opportunities have been limited in recent months, featuring in just one match during the home ODI series against Afghanistan, returning figures of 0/42 in Lucknow.India’s preference for Axar Patel and Washington Sundar has been largely due to the added batting depth they provide, often pushing Kuldeep down the pecking order despite his proven wicket-taking ability in the 50-over format.

Playing XI for India against England at Lord’s

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna.England: Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue.