Kuldeep Yadav: Time to Take Charge of India’s Spin Attack?

With the two-Test series against Sri Lanka around the corner, one question stands out for India:

How important is it for Kuldeep Yadav to make himself India’s lead spinner?

The question becomes even more relevant with Ravindra Jadeja back in the squad and younger options such as Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain around him. Kuldeep has the experience and the skill set, but now he needs to take ownership of the role.

Kuldeep has also developed into a more rounded bowler over the years. He entered the Sri Lanka series with 79 Test wickets from 18 matches, while his recent Test numbers underline how effective he can be when given an extended role. He took 12 wickets in India’s two-Test series against the West Indies in October 2025.

The Wrist-Spin Advantage: Why He Doesn’t Need the Pitch’s Help

A wrist-spinner at his best doesn’t need much assistance from the pitch; he can create pressure and pick up wickets purely through skill, regardless of conditions. That’s what makes Kuldeep such a valuable option for India. Add to that his experience of playing in different conditions over the years, and the case for backing him grows stronger.

His biggest asset remains his variety. He can turn the ball both ways and has a quicker delivery in his armoury, giving him more than one way to trouble a batter, something that becomes especially important over the course of a Test match, where patience and doubt often decide a dismissal.

The Warning Signs- Fewer Revs, A Dropping Arm

Having said all that, Kuldeep is not in the best of form at the moment, and one of the concerns is that he is not imparting as many revolutions on the ball as he would ideally want. His bowling arm also appears to have become lower. For a wrist-spinner, even small changes like these can affect how much dip and turn he’s able to generate.

A higher-arm release, combined with a strong pivot, can help Kuldeep impart more revolutions on the ball. More revolutions can generate greater overspin and sharper dip, making it harder for batters to judge the trajectory and length.

So, for Kuldeep, it is not simply about turning the ball. It is about maximising the revolutions and bringing back the dip that can make his bowling even more difficult to read.

The Bottom Line

Kuldeep has the tools: the experience, the variety, and the ability to turn the ball both ways: to be India’s go-to spinner. What he needs now is to sharpen the basics that have slipped a little and turn potential into control. If he can do that, this series against Sri Lanka could be the moment he moves from being an option to being the leader of India’s spin attack.

 

 

The post Kuldeep Yadav: Time to Take Charge of India’s Spin Attack? appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.



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