Do Shubman Gill & Gautam Gambhir not have enough faith in Kuldeep Yadav? Exploring the possibilities

Kuldeep Yadav bowled just 25 overs on the spin-friendly Galle pitch.

Under the leadership of captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir, India have entered a new era in Test cricket. The team is undergoing a transition, moving away from the philosophies and strategies that shaped red-ball cricket in India over the past decade.

While the transition has brought some amazing players to the forefront, it has also produced encouraging performances from this new Indian side; however, they have also struggled with a few difficult results.

However, the team selection has come under scrutiny from the very start of this era, especially with several players not being backed despite some match-winning performances. The recently ongoing India tour of Sri Lanka has added another layer to that discussion.

After India won the opening Test at Galle by 165 runs, a brief scrutiny of the Indian bowling attack revealed that Kuldeep Yadav had a relatively quiet outing, while the other two spinners dominated on the subcontinent track. 

Yadav’s recent Test performances have been questionable from time to time. A slight dip in his Test form often comes under the radar, as the chinaman bowler is often regarded as one of India’s most highly distinguished all-format specialists. 

Until the Galle Test, Kuldeep starred in 18 Tests for India, coming out with 79 scalps to his name, which in itself remains an extraordinary feat. However, with a little undermining of his effectiveness, Kuldeep managed to cause only a single dismissal in the first Test at Galle. 

After this poor outing, serious questions have been raised over whether captain Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir will trust him with the ball in the second Test at Colombo, especially with Saransh Jain waiting to make his debut for India. 

Perceptions that suggest India’s lack of confidence in Kuldeep Yadav 

3. Limited opportunities in Test cricket 

This is no longer a secret that Kuldeep Yadav is no longer India’s first-choice spinner in the Test XI. Though traditionally Kuldeep’s Test record has been quite extraordinary and his performances in the recent home tours against the West Indies and South Africa have also been prolific, he has not consistently received an extended run in the XI. 

His extended exclusion during the India tour of England 2025 started the debate over Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill’s lack of confidence in the experienced spinner. Gambhir has only considered Kuldeep on tracks where he has played three-spinners on the side. 

2. Playing young spinners ahead of Kuldeep 

Gautam Gambhir has been a massive fan of handing out debuts and opportunities to youngsters. India’s selection of players like Washington Sundar and Manav Suthar for the longest format also turned out to be excellent calls. 

However, Kuldeep has been the constant player to bear the consequences of these decisions, as these young spinners have been put ahead of him, either citing reasons like lower-order batting prowess or balance in the playing XI. 

1. Shubman Gill’s limited use of Kuldeep in Galle 

The Indian captain clearly got the trick of using spin early in Galle, and he preferred using Manav Suthar early in both innings. Ravindra Jadeja was used much later in the innings; however, the veteran shared the ball mostly with the youngster, with Kuldeep mostly watching as a mere spectator. 

While spin was clearly playing its part, Gill had Kuldeep bowl 25 overs split across the two innings, while the other two bowled nearly 44 overs each. However, Gill might reason that while Kuldeep struggled for rhythm, Suthar was at the top of his game. 

However, it remains premature to conclude that Gill and Gambhir have lost their faith in the Indian spinner; yet their decisions have reflected the fact that Kuldeep is no longer in the plans for India’s long-term spin prospects and is only a mere choice amid many spinners in the squad. 

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