Picture Credit: Twitter
July 20, 2021 - The last time Kuldeep Yadav was seen playing an ODI game for India! A dip in form followed by injuries kept the left-arm spinner out of national side for almost six months. However, the talented cricketer never lost hope. He worked on his fitness, trained rigorously and eventually made his way back into India's ODI squad for ongoing series against West Indies.
As everyone was getting ready to see the 27-year-old make his comeback in 1st ODI, they had to face disappointment after Kuldeep was left out of the playing XI. The wait for the fans continued but it looks like it could finally be over.
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The recent social media post of left-arm spinner hints towards the possibility that he is set to be included in the side for 2nd ODI against West Indies, scheduled to be played on Tuesday.
While sharing the images from his training session, Kuldeep wrote in the caption, "Final touches before the big game," presumably suggesting that he is likely to make his comeback for Men in Blue in Ahmedabad.
Who will Kuldeep Yadav replace in the playing XI?
If the left-arm is indeed making his way into the side for 2nd ODI, the big question is - Who will he replace? Notably, both Indian spinners - Washington Sundar (3/30) and Yuzvendra Chahal (4/49) - impressed with their bowling display on an Ahmedabad wicket, which assisted the slow bowlers.
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While there is a slight possibility that one of them could be rested to make way for Kuldeep, there are also chances that India could play with an extra spinner considering how the wicket behaved in 1st ODI. In this case, one of the pacers (maybe Shardul Thakur) could be replaced by Kuldeep as the 27-year-old can also contribute a bit with bat lower down the order.
It is going to be interesting to see if Kuldeep indeed returns to the side for the 2nd ODI and if yes, who does he replace? Well, we will have to wait to get some clarity until the toss on Wednesday.