“Not at all” - Former RCB cricketer’s massive statement on Kuldeep Yadav ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test

Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pacer Varun Aaron asserted that there is no chance for Kuldeep Yadav to make it into Team India's playing XI for the third Test against England. The wrist spinner has been sidelined in the five-match series so far, even when the visitors played with two spinners in the second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Kuldeep Yadav has found it difficult to feature in the red-ball playing XI since his debut in 2017. The spinner faced stiff competition from the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel, for the majority of his career in home conditions. Outside the subcontinent, he has found it even harder to feature as the all-rounders are generally preferred.

Even with Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement, the wrist spinner continues to be down in the pecking order, as the team management highly rates Washington Sundar's abilities with both bat and ball.

Fans and pundits had urged Team India to feature Kuldeep Yadav in the second Test in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, as the conditions suited his bowling style. However, there is not much of an encore this time as not many believe there is a chance for a frontline spinner on a green top at Lord's.

Varun Aaron opined that since the venue is friendly for the pacers, there is no point in including another spinner in the playing XI.

"Not at all, I wouldn't consider an extra spinner at Lord's. We all know. The numbers say it all. Mostly fast bowlers take wickets at Lord's," Aaron said on JioHotstar (via Hindustan Times).

During the Lord's Test in the 2018 tour of England, Team India went with the two-spinner formula with Kuldeep Yadav featuring with Ravichandran Ashwin. However, the strategy backfired as the wrist spinner bowled only nine overs, conceding 44 runs without any wickets in return.

"As much as I'd want him in my side, it looks difficult" - Deep Dasgupta on Kuldeep Yadav ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test

Former India wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta had a conflicted opinion regarding Kuldeep Yadav's inclusion in the playing XI. He cited that batting depth is still a priority because of the lack of runs by Karun Nair and Nitish Kumar Reddy, which does not give room for the wrist spinner to feature in the mix.

Kuldeep Yadav matched the profile of a second spinner that India were looking for in the second Test at Edgbaston, but instead of a frontline option, the management picked all-rounder Washington Sundar after the twin collapses in the first Test at Headingley.

"Yes, Kuldeep can come into the XI. That's what you can hope for but it looks very difficult. I would definitely keep him in my XI, but I think it is difficult to fit him in because of what happened at Edgbaston. If Karun Nair had scored runs at No.3 or Nitish Reddy at No.6, then the think tank could have gotten the confidence to drop a batter to play an extra spinner. So yeah, as much as I'd want him in my side, it looks difficult," Dasgupta said.

The iconic Lord's Cricket Stadium will play host to the third Test between India and England. The match is scheduled to begin on Thursday, July 10, with the series currently level at 1-1.