Why is Kuldeep Yadav not playing today's 2nd T20I vs vs West Indies?

Kuldeep Yadav wasn't included in Team India's playing XI for the second of the five-match T20I series against West Indies on Sunday, August 6. The match is being played at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.

Kuldeep was ruled out of the fixture due to a sore left thumb. The spinner injured himself while batting in the nets ahead of the second T20I. Giving an update on the bowler's absence, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wrote on Twitter:

"UPDATE: Kuldeep Yadav got hit while batting in the nets and was unavailable for selection for the 2nd T20I due to a sore left thumb."

Kuldeep has had an impressive run in white-ball cricket lately. He bowled a tidy spell in the T20I series opener against West Indies, conceding just 20 runs from his full quota of four overs while taking one wicket.

He was among the top performers in the three-match ODI series between the two sides, bagging seven scalps. The Men in Blue would hope that the crafty spinner recovers ahead of the third game, considering he has been in fantastic form.

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Ravi Bishnoi replaced Kuldeep Yadav in India's playing XI for 2nd T20I

Leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi was added to the Indian side for the second T20I against West Indies following Kuldeep Yadav's injury. Speaking about the change, here's what skipper Hardik Pandya said at the toss:

"We have a forced change. Kuldeep got a hit on the hand yesterday in the nets, it is not serious and just a precautionary measure. Ravi Bishnoi comes in place of him."

Notably, India won the toss and chose to bat first in the fixture. The side suffered a four-run loss in the series opener and will be keen to bounce back by coming up with an improved performance in the second encounter.

India's playing XI: Ishan Kishan(w), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mukesh Kumar, Ravi Bishnoi

West Indies playing XI: Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Johnson Charles, Nicholas Pooran(w), Rovman Powell(c), Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Obed McCoy