Former England captain Michael Vaughan has suggested that India should consider bringing Kuldeep Yadav into their playing XI for the T20 World Cup semi-final against England, pointing to the wrist-spinner’s strong record against English batters.
India has largely stuck with a settled bowling combination throughout the tournament, relying on Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel as their main spin options, with Washington Sundar tried and shelved over the group stages. The spinners have given ample support to spearheads Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.
Kuldeep, however, has featured only once in the tournament so far. His lone appearance came against Pakistan, where he returned impressive figures of 1 for 14.
Speaking on CricBuzz, Vaughan said the left-arm wrist-spinner could be a valuable option against England’s batting line-up.
“I would play Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep, over the years, has had England on toast in any format. He has always been a bowler England have struggled to pick. Do you need Tilak Varma or Shivam Dube down the order? Instead, I would be playing the left-arm leg-spinner against this England batting lineup. We don’t know if Kuldeep is in form as he hasn’t played. But him against the England batters will be a good matchup for India,” Vaughan said.
However, Vaughan also acknowledged that India may prefer to retain their current balance rather than make a late change before a knockout clash.
“But Gautam Gambhir’s history is to generally pack the batting. He sets up T20 teams where you’ve got a real powerful insurance at 7, 8 and 9. So what I am saying potentially won’t happen, but it would be worthwhile to play Kuldeep against this England batting lineup.”
Kuldeep has only played once in this T20 World Cup. (Photo: PTI)
WHY SHOULD KULDEEP PLAY VS ENGLAND?
Vaughan’s suggestion is largely based on Kuldeep’s impressive record against England in T20 internationals.
Across his appearances against England, the wrist-spinner has taken eight wickets while conceding just 77 runs from 12 overs, maintaining an economy rate of 6.41. His variations and ability to turn the ball away from right-handers have historically troubled England’s aggressive batting unit.
Despite those numbers, India have preferred to continue with their existing spin combination in the T20 World Cup, using Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel as the primary options.
Will Kuldeep be a surprise entry in India XI vs England? (PTI Photo)
With a place in the final at stake, it remains to be seen whether captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir will stick with their established formula or consider introducing Kuldeep as a tactical change against England.
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Published By:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published On:
Mar 5, 2026 09:03 IST
