Kuldeep Yadav returned to T20I side after five months.

"Complete match winner with the ball" - Fans react as India include Kuldeep Yadav in 1st T20I vs NZ

Modified Jan 27, 2023 19:38 IST

Team India have picked Kuldeep Yadav ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal for the first T20I against New Zealand at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday, January 27.

Kuldeep, who recently made a superb comeback in the ODIs against New Zealand, was preferred by skipper Hardik Pandya ahead of leg-spinner Chahal. He last played a T20I game in August last year against the West Indies in Lauderhill. The Uttar Pradesh-born cricketer had a stellar performance, returning with 3/14 in his four overs.

However, Kuldeep was not picked for the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. With that, he went down in the pecking order, but his stellar performances in the 50-over format compelled the selectors to consider him for the T20Is.

Fans were very excited to see Kuldeep in the T20I side after five months. Many urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to give him a consistent run to yield the maximum benefit from him.

Here are some of the reactions:

Soorya Sesha

@sooryasesha7

Kuldeep's resurgence, coupled with Chahal's dwindling returns, made it hard to leave the former out. Going to be a good challenge for him with dew already setting it from the looks of it #INDvNZ

Cricket Cheating Academy

@cheatingacademy

Kuldeep Yadav will play a T20I after nearly five months #INDvNZ

#INDVsNZT20

Dhruv

@kayasth_dhruv

@swaris16 Good to see Tripathi. Kuldeep is also becoming a regular, a peaceful feeling. Why Hooda though?

𝐑 𝐈 𝐓 𝐈 𝐊 ᵈʰᵒⁿⁱ 🇦🇺

@Dhoni_Tweetz

Kuldeep is Back in T20i also now . Getting dropped from T20i to Test to ODI and then making a comeback from ODI to Test to T20i .

That's what we call a perfect Comeback. Love you brother, @imkuldeep18 .

Anuj Nitin Prabhu 🏏

@APTalksCricket

Kuldeep playing ahead of Yuzi in T20Is

The Dark Knight

@d_darknight18

@mufaddal_vohra Happy for kuldeep yadav give him enough chances

Rohirat (Fan Account) 🇳🇿

@KLR_VK_RS

@BCCI @hardikpandya7 @mastercardindia @imkuldeep18 here u go sir

V Karthik

@karkavi27

@ESPNcricinfo Perfect. Chahal not playing and Kuldeep doing... right decision. The most good result was dropping of Prithivi Shaw. He need to proof a bit more like adapting the condition, etc;

Angy baccha🍁🐾💢

@JokerQu96614374

@CricCrazyJohns Happy for kuldeep! 🤞

Utsav 💔

@utsav045

@mufaddal_vohra Happy to see Kuldeep getting consistent run in the team now

Faiz Fazel

@theFaizFazel

Really happy that India are playing Kuldeep in place of Chahal today. Hope they stick with this for the entire series.

Abir

@_AmiAbir

Thanks for today's team for #INDvsNZ @BCCI But plz bring R Bishnoi back. Kuldeep & Bishnoi we want to watch them. Together they can do awesome.

Chup Bey!

@stud88282483

Great decision from #HardikPandya to include Kuldeep even in the T20Is. Given the form and talent he is a real asset for Team India. A complete match-winner with the ball also provides batting at the lower order.

Sign of a good proactive captain. 🧐

#INDvsNZ

Yaman Joshi

@yaman_joshi28

@mufaddal_vohra Kuldeep t20i comback

Etron Lord

@EtronLoard03

@ViniciusJrERA @mufaddal_vohra Kuldeep has been doing good. Plus people has learnt to play chahal well until unless chahal works on some variations. Kuldeep is actually a good choice for white ball.

Tejas

@tejasxpatil

Excellent decision to continue with inform Kuldeep Yadav and leave out chahal ! Do you agree with hardik pandya the attacking captain here? #INDvsNZ #INDvsNZ #INDVsNZT20 #HardikPandya #kuldeepyadav #INDvsAUS

Kuldeep Yadav boasts a stellar T20I record, having had 44 scalps in 25 games at an average of 14.02.

Former cricketer Wasim Jaffer recently lavished praise on the wrist-spinner, saying that the Delhi Capitals (DC) ace could be a match-winner for Team India.

"It happens with wrist spinners," Jaffer said on ESPNCricinfo. "When their form is good, when the ball comes out of their hands well, they take wickets. He has proved in the last two series by taking big wickets and giving breakthroughs at critical stages. So, he has that potential.”

Kuldeep Yadav will hope to continue his form and cement his place in the T20 side ahead of the next T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA.

India and New Zealand Playing XIs

India: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, and Arshdeep Singh.

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, and Blair Tickner.

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Edited by
Sudeshna Banerjee