Why is Kuldeep Yadav not playing today’s ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test?

The build-up to the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has been dominated by discussions about left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav's possible inclusion in the side. The suspense finally ended when Indian skipper Shubman Gill confirmed at the toss that the 30-year-old will miss the Edgbaston Test, starting today (July 2).

India lost the series opener at Leeds by five wickets, having played only the lone spinner in Ravindra Jadeja and four seamers. Kuldeep has enjoyed incredible success against England in Tests, picking up 21 wickets in six matches at an average of 22.28. Yet, his lone Test match in England came in the second Test of India's 1-4 series loss in 2018 at Lord's.

Gill admitted being tempted to include Kuldeep in the XI but went for more batting depth.

"Three changes - Reddy (Nitish), Washi (Sundar) and Akash Deep come in. No Bumrah. Just to manage his workload. Third Test being at Lord's, we think there'll be more in that pitch so we'll use him there. We were tempted to play Kuldeep but decided to add some depth to the batting," he said at the toss (via Cricbuzz).

The veteran spinner similarly missed the opening Test of India's previous series against England at home. The side lost that game in Hyderabad, resulting in Kuldeep Yadav's inclusion in the XI for the next four matches. The chinaman bowler made a massive difference with 19 wickets in the final four Tests to help India overturn a 0-1 deficit into a 4-1 series win.

However, India has resisted the temptation to include the wily spinner in the second Test of the ongoing series.

When did Kuldeep Yadav last play a Test match for India?

Kuldeep Yadav last played in a Test when Rohit Sharma was still firmly the Indian captain [Credit: Getty]

Kuldeep Yadav's last Test appearance for India came in the three-match home series against New Zealand in October 2024. The 30-year-old was part of the Indian XI for the series opener in Bengaluru, which India lost by eight wickets.

Kuldeep picked up three wickets in the first innings but went wicketless in his three overs of bowling in the second innings. He did not play in the next two outings and was sidelined for the following Australian Test tour due to an injury.

Unfortunately for India, they have struggled in his absence, losing six out of their last eight Tests since the Bengaluru affair against the Kiwis. Despite boasting stellar numbers in Tests, with an average of 22.16, including four 5-wicket hauls, Kuldeep has played only 13 red-ball games for India since his debut in 2017.