Kuldeep Yadav's Exclusion from India's T20 World Cup XI Surprises Gavaskar

Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar expressed surprise over the omission of Kuldeep Yadav from India's playing XI in their opening match of the 2024 T20 World Cup against Ireland. Gavaskar, speaking on Star Sports' pre-match coverage, said, "I'm surprised. Kuldeep bowled really well in the IPL. His exclusion came as a little surprise."

Kuldeep, a left-arm wrist spinner, had been widely expected to start for India in the tournament. However, Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid opted for Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel as their two regular spinners.

Kuldeep has impressive T20I statistics, with 59 wickets in 35 matches at an average of 14.1 and an economy rate of 6.75. He has also taken two five-wicket hauls, one against England in England and the other against South Africa in South Africa.

In the recently concluded IPL 2024, Kuldeep picked up 16 wickets in 11 games for Delhi Capitals. His exclusion from the Indian team raised eyebrows on social media, with many fans and experts questioning the decision.

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer tweeted, "No Kuldeep? #INDvIRE #T20WorldCup." Another fan account, @Delphy06, wrote, "Kuldeep Yadav dropped today by Team India. Axar Patel given chance to prolong batting line up vs Ireland."

India's decision to leave out Kuldeep may have been influenced by the warm-up game against Bangladesh, where he failed to pick up a wicket in two overs. However, his IPL form and overall record suggest that he is a valuable asset to the team.

Despite Kuldeep's absence, India fielded a strong team against Ireland. All three frontline seamers - Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammad Siraj - were included, while Rishabh Pant edged out Sanju Samson as the wicket-keeper batsman. Virat Kohli returned to the opening slot alongside Rohit Sharma, while Yashasvi Jaiswal missed out.

India began their 2024 T20 World Cup campaign with a match against Ireland on June 5, aiming to win their second World T20 title.

Tags: #KuldeepYadav, #T20WorldCup, #India, #Ireland, #SunilGavaskar