Gautam Gambhir's plan to bench Kuldeep Yadav in Asia Cup 2025 revealed

Former India National Cricket Team spinner Maninder Singh has discussed the plan of the Gautam Gambhir-led team management to bench the star left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the Asia Cup 2025.

Maninder Singh said that Kuldeep Yadav might remain out of the India playing XI throughout the Asia Cup 2025, with the team management preferring spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel.

India would have won the series 3-1 if they played Kuldeep Yadav - Maninder Singh

The 30-year-old Kuldeep was recently part of India's Test squad for the five-match series against the England National Cricket Team in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025.

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Heading into the series, several cricket experts labelled Kuldeep as the X-factor for India against England, but the wrist-spinner turned out to be quite unlucky and remained on the bench throughout the tour.

There were a few matches where the Indian team management had the chance to unleash Kuldeep Yadav, but the head coach Gautam Gambhir chose to back multi-skilled spinners instead.

Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar were preferred as the two spin-bowling all-rounders for the matches against the Three Lions, and the demands for Kuldeep Yadav's selection were totally ignored.

Under the leadership of Shubman Gill, India delivered a good performance in the Test series and managed to register a 2-2 draw. However, Maninder Singh feels that the result would have been 3-1 in India's favor had Kuldeep Yadav played.

“If they had played Kuldeep in the Test matches in England, India would have won the series 3-1," the 60-year-old told India Today.

I doubt if they’re going to play Kuldeep Yadav - Maninder Singh

England won the Test series opener by 5 wickets while chasing 371 runs at Headingley in Leeds, and Singh feels that the run chase wouldn't have been completed if India had Kuldeep in the playing XI.

"The English batters wouldn’t have known what he was doing. They wouldn’t have read his googlies or leg-spinners. In the first Test match, they chased 371. There was no chance if he was playing on the fourth evening and fifth day that England could have chased,” he said.

He added that, looking at the past trends, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel would be India's top two spin-bowling options in the Asia Cup, and Kuldeep will again be snubbed from playing XI.

“I doubt if they’re going to play Kuldeep Yadav if they’re going to play two spinners in the Asia Cup. It’s going to be Axar Patel because he can bat as well and Varun Chakravarthy,” he added.

He’s a material somebody, who’s very smart - Maninder Singh

The former Indian cricketer lavished rich praise on the spinner Varun Chakravarthy, saying that he is quite smart and a real thinker and can be India's X-factor in the continental tournament.

“He’s a material somebody, who’s very smart, not many of that breed in world cricket. So I feel that he’s going to be very effective amongst the three Indian spinners in the Asia Cup. He’s a very smart bowler. He knows how to bowl in different situations and reads batters very well. He may look blank on the outside, but he’s a real thinker,” he said.

Notably, Varun Chakravarthy is India's premier bowler in T20I cricket, and he has bagged 33 wickets at an average of 14.57 in 18 matches.

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