Sourav Ganguly gives Gautam Gambhir a 'belt treatment' over Kuldeep Yadav's snub in Oval Test

Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president and legendary India National Cricket Team captain, Sourav Ganguly, has lashed out at the head coach Gautam Gambhir.

Sourav Ganguly has slammed Gautam Gambhir for keeping Kuldeep Yadav on the bench in all five matches of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025.

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Kuldeep Yadav ends England tour without a game

The 30-year-old left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav has received massive backing from the cricket experts to feature in the India playing XI in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025.

However, the Gautam Gambhir-led team management has completely blocked the outside noise and has not shown enough faith in Kuldeep Yadav.

From the very first match at Headingley in Leeds, Kuldeep's inclusion in the India XI was demanded, with many calling him the X-factor and game-changer.

But the Indian team management decided to put more emphasis on the batting depth; hence, Kuldeep faced constant snubs. After warming the bench in four back-to-back matches, several media outlets reported that Kuldeep was highly likely to play the series finale.

It was reported that the left-arm wrist-spinner was in serious consideration to play the fifth Test at The Oval in London, but eventually, he missed out on selection, despite India making as many as four changes to the line-up.

Kuldeep is someone India must persist with - Sourav Ganguly

Legendary captain Sourav Ganguly was left disappointed seeing Kuldeep Yadav being benched again and advised Gautam Gambhir to persist with the left-arm wrist-spinner as he is one for the future.

"I think England went with four fast bowlers. They left a bit of grass on the wicket—I'm presuming that was deliberate. India have had quality spinners like Jadeja and Ashwin in the past. I really wish Kuldeep had played in Manchester, at Lord's, and even in Birmingham. Without quality spin, it's hard to bowl a team out on Day 5," Ganguly told India Today.

"We saw what happened when India batted—there wasn't a top-class spinner in England's attack, and they couldn't take wickets. In the past, teams had great spinners—whether it was Warne, Muralitharan, England's Swann and Panesar, or even our own Harbhajan and Kumble. Kuldeep is someone India must persist with. He's crucial for our future."

I'm surprised not to see Mukesh Kumar in the national squad - Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly further provided support to pacer Anshul Kamboj, who got dropped just after his debut game, but expressed surprise over the non-selection of the Bengal pacer Mukesh Kumar in the India Test squad.

"Don't judge Anshul Kamboj based on just one Test match. He's a young kid who has taken plenty of wickets in domestic cricket. We need to assess players over five, six, even eight Tests before forming opinions," Ganguly said.

"That said, I'll be honest—I'm surprised not to see Mukesh Kumar in the national squad, especially in red-ball cricket. His domestic numbers are phenomenal, and these conditions would have suited his style of bowling perfectly. Hopefully, he'll get his opportunity in the near future," Ganguly said.