IND vs SA 2025: Why Kuldeep Yadav is Not Playing the 1st T20I in Cuttack? Explained

India left out Kuldeep Yadav for the opening T20I in Cuttack, choosing extra batting strength over a specialist wrist spinner. The move surprised many fans because Kuldeep has been one of India’s most trusted wicket takers in this format.

South Africa won the toss and decided to bowl first at Barabati Stadium. The pitch looked good for batting and India seemed keen to pack their line up with players who can contribute with both bat and ball.

India went with a clear tilt towards all round options. Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel all made the XI. This gave India a deeper batting order, something the team management has been pushing for in recent months.

Because of this shift, the bowling unit had only three specialist bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah led the attack with Varun Chakaravarthy and Arshdeep Singh. With just three pure bowlers available, India had no space left for Kuldeep.

The decision stands out because India have only ten T20Is left before the T20 World Cup. Fans expected Kuldeep to get more game time. His recent form has been strong and he offers a different style in the middle overs.

India’s Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy and Arshdeep Singh.

The call to leave out Kuldeep suggests that India want batting depth even if it means leaving out a proven match winner. It also shows that the team is exploring combinations ahead of a packed season.

A team source said before the match that India wanted flexibility in both halves of the innings. The management believes the all rounders can cover the middle overs while keeping the batting long.

Kuldeep will likely remain in the plans for the coming games. The bigger question now is whether India will stick with this balance or bring him back as conditions change.