33 T20Is, 61 wickets: Kuldeep Yadav unplayable yet unpicked

Did you know there’s a bowler in Team India who has played just 33 T20Is since 2018, yet has picked up 61 wickets in them? We’re talking about Kuldeep Yadav, a bowler whose spot in the XI never seems guaranteed even with numbers like these.

And it isn’t just the wickets that stand out, it’s the rate at which he gets them. His strike rate of 11.4 in this period is the best among all bowlers from full-member nations with a minimum of 50 wickets.

So, if the performance is this good, where’s the problem? Maybe his economy isn’t great? Well, let’s bust that myth too. Since 2018, Kuldeep’s economy has been a stunning 6.4. In an era of T20 cricket where 200+ scores have become normal, he’s going at just about 6 runs an over.

And here’s the painful part: despite these numbers, he had to wait almost a full year after the 2024 T20 World Cup final to play his next T20I. When he finally returned against the UAE, Kuldeep was literally unplayable, picking up 4 wickets in just 2.1 overs. In his second over, Kuldeep got 3 wickets to run through the UAE middle-order.

And it's not the case in T20Is only. Since wrapping up his IPL campaign in late May, Kuldeep had featured in just one competitive match before the Asia Cup opener vs the UAE. He spent the entire England Test tour on the bench, with his only real outing in nearly 4 months coming in the Duleep Trophy quarter-final for Central Zone against North East Zone.

So, what exactly has Kuldeep done wrong to keep fighting for his place every single time? And think about this - who suffers more when he plays fewer games: Kuldeep Yadav or India?

After Team India crushed the UAE, their head coach, Lalchand Rajput, lavished praise on the Indian bowling attack. "World champions will crush teams. It was good till the powerplay, but once spinners started operating, it changed. There was not much turn but if it's Kuldeep and Varun, even top batters struggle against them,” he explained.