AUS vs IND 2025: Why Kuldeep Yadav Released from T20I Squad? Reason Revealed
Kuldeep Yadav released from India’s T20I squad to join India A for red-ball practice ahead of South Africa Tests.
India spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been released from the T20I squad on the ongoing Australia tour to join India A for their red-ball series against South Africa A.
The move is a strategic one by the team management, aimed at giving Kuldeep valuable red-ball practice ahead of the two-match Test series against South Africa that begins on November 14.
Kuldeep will now feature in the second unofficial Test for India A, starting November 6 in Bengaluru. The left-arm spinner played the first two T20Is of the Australia series but was left out of the third before being released.
No replacement has been named for him for the remaining two T20Is. The decision confirms that his exit is purely for preparation purposes and not due to injury or any disciplinary matter.
The current T20I squad for the Australia series includes captain Suryakumar Yadav, vice-captain Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, and Washington Sundar.
India will look to balance both formats carefully, with red-ball readiness taking priority as the South Africa Tests approach. Kuldeep’s inclusion in the India A setup reflects the management’s long-term focus on ensuring key players are well-tuned for the overseas challenge.
