Kuldeep Yadav did not play in any of the five Test matches during India’s 2025 tour of England.
The series ended with both teams winning two matches each, making it a 2-2 draw. The main reason Kuldeep was left out is that the team wanted players who could both bat and bowl well.
The Indian team, led by Gautam Gambhir, wanted to make the batting stronger. England scored many runs in the matches, so India needed players who could help with batting and also bowl. This is why they picked all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar instead of Kuldeep, who is mainly a bowler.
Robin Uthappa, a former cricketer, said Kuldeep is a good bowler but his batting needs to get better. The team prefers players who can perform both with bat and ball. Uthappa compared Kuldeep to Ravichandran Ashwin, a spinner who also scores important runs. If Kuldeep improves his batting skill like Ashwin, he can play more Tests in the future.
Even though some pitches during the series could have helped Kuldeep’s bowling, the team still chose players who are stronger batsmen. Kuldeep was even thought of for one match, but the team decided to pick bowlers who can bat better.
Sunil Gavaskar, a former captain, was surprised Kuldeep did not play because some pitches suited wrist spinners like him. But he also understood the team needed a good balance between batting and bowling.
Former fast bowler RP Singh said the team wanted all-rounders who can bat well. This made it harder for Kuldeep to get selected. Although Kuldeep’s bowling is very good, his weaker batting makes it difficult for him to be in the team.
In short, Kuldeep was left out because his batting is not as strong as others who can do both batting and bowling. Experts say if Kuldeep works on his batting, he can come back to the Test team. Today’s Test cricket needs players who can help in more than one way, especially on tough tours like England.