Ashwin questions Kuldeep Yadav omission after India lose fourth T20I in Hyderabad

Ravichandran Ashwin criticised India’s decision to leave Kuldeep Yadav out of the last two T20Is against the West Indies after India lost the fourth T20I in Hyderabad on Wednesday, a 24-run defeat that levelled the five-match series at 2-2. Ashwin said the omission “lacks a bit of common sense” and suggested Kuldeep’s presence “could have made a difference of 15-20 runs.”

West Indies posted 247 for 3 in Hyderabad and India were restricted to 223 in the chase, leaving the series tied at 2-2 and setting up a decider in Bengaluru on Saturday. India’s bowling attack struggled again in the fourth T20I, and Kuldeep had played the first two matches in Lucknow and Ranchi before being left out of the XIs for the games in Indore and Hyderabad.

Speaking on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin said: "It is very surprising because, on a ground where you expect to get some bounce, I know it has not always been a happy hunting ground for spinners. But the West Indies batters are struggling to pick his (Kuldeep) googly and leg-spin. So, if you are leaving Kuldeep out against them, it lacks a bit of common sense. It is very surprising because I think his presence could have made a difference of 15-20 runs," Ashwin said.

Ashwin also defended the decision to omit Kuldeep in Indore while disputing attempts to make him a scapegoat for the Ranchi defeat, saying: "I was surprised. Kuldeep was not picked in Indore, and I would still endorse that decision because I can understand that the ground is small. But you are almost making an issue out of it by suggesting that India's loss in Ranchi was because of Kuldeep. That, in itself, is wrong," he added.

Kuldeep’s on-field returns in the T20I series were mixed: he took 2 for 33 in the series opener but conceded 53 runs in four overs in Ranchi, including 24 in the 17th over. He had earlier claimed seven wickets in three matches in the ODI series against the West Indies earlier this month, finishing as India’s leading wicket-taker against the same opposition.

With the five-match series level at 2-2, India must reassess selection and bowling plans for Saturday’s decider in Bengaluru. Whether Kuldeep returns to the side remains to be seen.