Kuldeep Yadav's Quest for Form Ahead of 2027 ODI World Cup

India's head coach Gautam Gambhir looks on as Kuldeep Yadav, left, warms up before the start of play on day one of the test match between Afghanistan and India in New Chandigarh, India, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo)

TimesofIndia.com in Chennai: There is not an iota of doubt that, when on song, there is no better sight than Kuldeep Yadav bowling those chinamans. The hop, the skip, the jump to the bowling crease, the flight, and the revs he imparts on the ball are a sight to behold. But over the years, for different reasons, he has never been able to cement his place in the Indian squad. Kuldeep's case has always been a curious one. In the current ODI setup, he is the senior most bowler and is just six wickets away from reaching 200 ODI wickets. The 31-year-old has an exceptional record in the format. He has 194 wickets in 121 matches and takes a wicket every 31 balls. His economy rate is slightly on the higher side, but he has always been India's main wicket-taking option in the middle overs. In the ongoing series, Kuldeep has played only one game in Lucknow and even though he didn't bowl badly, he wasn't close to the rhythm he has often hit in the past. Manav Suthar and Washington Sundar outbowled him in the one-off Test against Afghanistan and in the rain-curtailed ODI in Dharamsala, Harsh Dubey was picked ahead of him. Ahead of the Chennai ODI, while India are expected to rotate their batting line-up and pacers, the onus will be on Kuldeep to find his groove. Team India's spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutale was in Kuldeep's ear after almost every ball he bowled to Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma in the nets. Bahutale watched Kuldeep closely, be it his run-up, his load-up or the revs he imparted on the ball. Kuldeep thrives on confidence, and this team management certainly knows that if India are to do well in the middle overs at the 2027 ODI World Cup, much will depend on the chinaman. No one in this bowling attack is as capable as Kuldeep of taking wickets against the run of play. Jasprit Bumrah can do it to an extent, but even he cannot be relied upon to provide those breakthroughs in the middle overs as consistently as Kuldeep. In the pre-match press conference, India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate made it clear that the management will continue to back Kuldeep because they believe he remains India's trump card. "The wickets are always there, and I thought he bowled really well the other night. He hasn't had a continuous run of games for a while, even in Test cricket, so there are no real concerns about him," said Doeschate on Kuldeep's dip in form. "We always like to play a wrist spinner or a mystery spinner. With the way the game is evolving, the onus is on spinners to keep reinventing themselves. Kuldeep, along with our other spinners in the Test squad, has put a lot of work into the tactical side of the game and planning for batters. I think Kuldeep is doing really well," he added. The Chennai ODI may not define Kuldeep Yadav's future, but it could be the first step towards rediscovering the rhythm that has made him India's biggest wicket-taking weapon in the middle overs. With the road to the 2027 ODI World Cup only getting busier from here, India need their premier wrist spinner firing again. Sooner rather than later.