"Include me in...": Kuldeep Yadav begs Shubman Gill for support after Rohit Sharma’s Test exit

Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav advised new Test skipper Shubman Gill to lead the team with a free mind without any pressure. Kuldeep Yadav has also been named in the squad of the Indian Test team for the England tour.

The chinaman is also a single specialist spinner picked up for the tour, and he hoped to play under Shubman Gill’s captaincy in the red-ball format in all the matches.

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Kuldeep Yadav teases Shubman Gill, begs for support

The chinaman advised Shubman Gill to include him in the playing XI for all five Test matches in England, as he don't have any expectation from the skipper.

“He should support me and include me in the XI for all matches, what else! A new captain has a lot of challenges and a lot on his mind. I don’t have any expectations from a captain. My expectations are from myself,” Kuldeep told the Indian Express in an interview.

Yadav wants Gill to lead the team with a free mind, and Kuldeep will not add any pressure from his side to the newly appointed skipper for the Indian Test team.

"If I am playing, I should prepare myself thoroughly and give my best. He would have a lot of pressure on him, but there is no pressure on him from my side. He should lead the team with a free mind," Kuldeep added.

Shubman and Kuldeep share a good bond and Gill would be eyeing to utilise the chinaman in the English conditions where spinners don't get much help from the surface.

Shubman Gill and Kuldeep Yadav have been sharing the dressing room for a long time

Apart from the senior team, Shubman Gill and Kuldeep have shared the dressing room in the IPL for four years. Both have represented the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) from 2018 to 2021.

Kuldeep joined the franchise in 2014 and was retained by KKR until 2021. After that, the chinaman was picked up by Delhi Capitals in the 2022 mega auction.

Whereas Gill also started his IPL journey with KKR, as the Under-19 sensation was picked up by the franchise in 2018 and released by them before the IPL 2022 mega auction, similar to Kuldeep Yadav.

Kuldeep Yadav’s Test cricket record

The chinaman spinner made his debut in 2017 in the red-ball format against Australia but played only one match in the four Test match series. Yadav has 56 wickets in 13 Test matches with an average of 22.16.

Kuldeep also played a Test match in English conditions but was smashed in his debut Test in England. He will be the X-factor in the England tour by looking up to the aggressive approach of England’s batter in the white jersey.