Kuldeep Yadav is in red-hot form these days. The 30-year-old cricketer from Kanpur finished as the highest wicket-taker in the Asia Cup 2025 (17 wickets in seven matches), and in the West Indies Test series as well he picked up the most wickets (12 in two matches). But despite his super form with the ball in the last couple of series for India, he is not playing in the ongoing first India-Australia ODI at Optus Stadium in Perth.

Kuldeep is fully fit, but due to the Indian team management’s decision to go with three fast bowlers – Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana – and three all-rounders – Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar – Kuldeep failed to make the cut.

“We have got a great combination of experienced players and some of the gun players that we have in

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