Kuldeep Yadav may need to change IPL franchise to revive India career, says Aakash Chopra

Kuldeep Yadav failed to make the team for the fourth Test
Kuldeep Yadav failed to make the team for the fourth Test

Aakash Chopra feels that Kuldeep Yadav may need to move to a different IPL franchise to revive his India career.

Kuldeep Yadav failed to make the India playing XI for the fourth Test despite injuries to key players like Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah.

The likes of Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur and T Natarajan got the nod ahead of the Kolkata Knight Riders spinner.

The 26-year-old hasn't played a Test match since January 2019. And a dip in form since the 2019 World Cup and in the IPL has limited his white-ball involvement for India as well.

"You really feel for him," Chopra told ESPNCricinfo. "I was there in Sydney when he took those 5-6 wickets, and that was when Ravi Shastri actually said, 'he is our number 1 overseas,' and I don't know whether he has actually played a Test match since then. There was a chance of him playing in Ranchi when he got injured. So where does he go from here? It's going to be tough. If you don't play, you don't become a better bowler by just sitting on the sidelines and warming the bench. So you feel for him."
"He may also want to take a call with the Kolkata Knight Riders. And if he doesn't want to be there then get released. Because in the end he needs to play."

"One bad IPL ruled him [Kuldeep] out of Test cricket" - Aakash Chopra

Chopra believes Kuldeep Yadav's poor performances for KKR in 2019 & 2020 IPL led to him losing his spot in the Indian team. Yadav has had two sub-par seasons in the IPL, picking up five and one wicket in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

"There was one bad IPL that actually ruled him out of Test cricket is what I heard. The perception was that his confidence was so down that he can't play in any other format. If all that is going to be in consideration, then you've got to play for a franchise that at least allows you to play."

With the IPL auction coming up soon, Kuldeep Yadav and Kolkata Knight Riders will have a big decision to make.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava
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