Why Kuldeep Yadav could miss IND vs AFG one-off test? Irfan Pathan explains
(Courtesy : BCCI)
Kuldeep Yadav is part of India’s squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan.
India are set to take on Afghanistan in a Test match. The encounter will commence on June 6 in New Chandigarh.
Spinners will play a crucial role for India in the match. Kuldeep Yadav is the frontline spinner in India‘s squad. Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, and Harsh Dubey are the other three spinners in the squad.
While Kuldeep is expected to lead India’s spin attack in the encounter, former Indian pacer Irfan Pathan feels that he could miss the encounter. Notably, Kuldeep is currently India’s main spinner in Test matches.
Irfan Pathan feels Kuldeep Yadav might miss IND vs AFG Test
While speaking about India’s playing XI for the test against Afghanistan on the ‘Follow the Blues’ show, cricketer-turned-commentator Pathan said that India will stick to their strategy of playing spin all-rounders. Hence, he believes that India will prefer Washington Sundar over Yadav in the playing XI.
“Absolutely copy-paste, except on one point, because the Indian team likes to bat till No. 8. That’s how they play. So maybe in place of Kuldeep Yadav, at No. 6, No. 7, and No. 8 – Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Washington Sundar,” Pathan said.
“Harsh Dubey coming at No. 9 and then Gurnoor Brar and one of the fast bowlers, either Siraj or Prasidh Krishna, whichever way they want to go,” Pathan added.
Notably, Kuldeep was picked in the previous Test series against South Africa in November 2025. He clinched eight wickets in two matches at an average of 28.63.
Recently, he struggled with his form in IPL 2026 for Delhi Capitals. He clinched 10 wickets in 12 games at an economy of 10.29. Hence, he will aim for a comeback in the Test match against Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill will lead India in the Test match against Afghanistan. Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey, and Gurnoor Brar are the three new faces in India’s squad.
When will the IND vs AFG test match start?
The encounter will start on June 6.
Why Irfan Pathan feels Kuldeep Yadav will miss IND vs AFG test?
Irfan Pathan feels that India will prefer spin all-rounder Washington Sundar in the playing XI against Afghanistan. Hence, Kuldeep Yadav will not be picked in the playing XI.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.