Cricket circles are abuzz with criticism aimed at the Indian team management following their decision to omit Kuldeep Yadav from the initial two One Day Internationals against Australia. Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has publicly voiced his strong disapproval, suggesting that Kuldeep’s absence was a significant factor in India’s two-wicket defeat in the second ODI, which handed Australia an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The final game is scheduled for Saturday in Sydney.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif cast doubts on the bowling prowess of Harshit Rana, questioning his primary strengths. He observed, “I’m following Harshit Rana a lot, but he does not have a strength delivery. It’s not like he has a solid outswinger or an inswinger.” Kaif further elaborated, contrasting Rana with established bowlers like Siraj or Bumrah who possess clear strengths such as precise yorkers, raw pace, or deceptive slower balls. He concluded, “But I can’t figure out what Harshit Rana’s strength is. It’s not like he bowls over 140. Play either one of Rana or Reddy, because both of them can’t play together. Kuldeep Yadav sitting out for this is a clear injustice.”
Kaif explained that while Rana proves effective when the required run rate is high, he struggles to make an impact when batsmen adopt a more conservative approach. “When the required rate is 9 or 10 runs per over, there Harshit Rana is effective because his strength is change of pace. But when batters are playing like Test cricket when the required rate is around 5 or 6 runs per over, the bowler has to bring more skills to outfox the batter when he is playing in 3rd gear.”
He highlighted Adam Zampa’s match-winning performance, where Zampa claimed four wickets and earned the Player of the Match award in Adelaide, as a prime example of what Kuldeep could have achieved. “If Kuldeep was in the team, I guarantee you 100 percent that India would have won this game,” Kaif asserted. “When Zampa can come in and change the game by dismissing some big names, when there was grip and turn from the surface, then think what Kuldeep could have done against this inexperienced Australian middle order. This is a do-or-die match, you are not playing him, and Zampa, who was not even there in the last match, returned and took the man of the match. Kuldeep Yadav is a thousand times better bowler than Adam Zampa.”