3 reasons why India should play Kuldeep Yadav in the T20Is against New Zealand

Having thumped New Zealand 3-0 in the ODI series, Team India will be keen to dominate the T20Is as well. The first game of the three-match T20I series will be played at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday, January 27. With Rohit Sharma being rested as part of India’s workload management, keeping the 2023 ODI World Cup on home soil in mind, all-rounder Hardik Pandya has taken charge of the team.

One of the big decisions for the team management with regard to the playing XI will be to choose between leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav.

While Chahal was part of India’s squad during their previous T20I series against Sri Lanka, Kuldeep was only picked for the one-dayers. In fact, the latter hasn’t played a T20I for India since the fifth match of the series against West Indies in Lauderhill on August 07, 2022.

With Kuldeep being picked in the Indian team for T20Is against New Zealand, we analyze three reasons why he should be part of the playing XI.

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#1 Kuldeep is on top of his game

Kuldeep Yadav has been in terrific form across all formats lately. Pic: Getty Images

Ever since making a comeback, Kuldeep has been in excellent form with the ball. He had the wood over New Zealand in the ODI series and was the joint-leading wicket-taker with six scalps in three matches at an average of 22.33. Most Kiwi batters found it difficult to read his variations. As such, he will have that psychological edge over the visitors, heading into the T20I series.

Overall as well, the 28-year-old has been in tremendous bowling form. He was one of the top performers in the ODI series against Sri Lanka as well, claiming five wickets in two matches at an average of 13.40.

Chahal was preferred to the wrist-spinner in the first ODI, but injury concerns forced India to bring in Kuldeep for the second game and he delivered with figures of 3/51, walking away with the Player of the Match award. The bowler followed it up with an impressive spell of 2/16 from five overs in Thiruvananthapuram as the Men in Blue routed Sri Lanka by a record 317 runs.

Before the ODI series at home, Kuldeep delivered in the Test series in Bangladesh as well. Playing in his first red-ball game for the country since February 2021, the bowler claimed eight wickets in the first Test in Chattogram and also scored a crucial 40 runs. Kuldeep was named Player of the Match, only to be shockingly dropped for the next Test.

Kuldeep has overcome the disappointment and has continued to excel in ODIs. He seems to be on top of his game as a bowler and there is no reason why Team India should stop him from carrying on the great work.

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#2 Yuzvendra Chahal has not looked in good rhythm

Yuzvendra Chahal has lacked consistency of late. Pic: Getty Images

It is no secret that India have preferred Chahal to Kuldeep in white-ball cricket. However, with all due credit to the former, he hasn’t looked in a great bowling rhythm lately. Chahal was hammered for 67 in Auckland in the first ODI of the series in New Zealand as the Kiwis chased 307 with ease.

The 32-year-old played two matches for Haryana in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2022-23, but could not make much of an impact, managing only three wickets.

Even as Team India beat Sri Lanka in the T20I series, Chahal proved very expensive. He picked up three wickets in three matches at an average of 28.66 and an economy rate of 9.55. The leg-spinner was ineffective in the first ODI against Sri Lanka, conceding 58 runs in 10 overs while taking only one wicket.

He played the third ODI against New Zealand in Indore. And while Chahal did pick up a couple of scalps, those were of lower-order batters. The leggie again looked out of sorts, going for 43 in 7.2 overs. In a nutshell, Chahal hasn’t been in great form, be it ODIs or T20Is.

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#3 Kuldeep has an exceptional T20I record

Kuldeep Yadav was the joint-leading wicket-taker in the ODIs against New Zealand. Pic: Getty Images

The fact that Kuldeep has played only 25 T20Is for Team India since making his debut in 2017 has to be one of the biggest mysteries in Indian cricket. While there was a phase where he was struggling in one-dayers, he has hardly ever had a poor T20I match. However, he was unfairly axed from the T20I squad on the basis of his ODI performances.

In 25 T20Is, Kuldeep has picked up 44 wickets at an excellent average of 14.02 and an equally good economy rate of 6.89. In his previous T20I, he had registered figures of 3/12 in four overs as Team India hammered West Indies by 88 runs in Lauderhill in August 2022.

Kuldeep is a genuine wicket-taker in the T20I format. In 24 innings, there have been only four instances where he has drawn a blank in the wickets column. In the other 20 innings, he has picked up at least one wicket.

The fact that the wrist-spinner has played only 25 T20Is is as much the team’s loss as Kuldeep’s.

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