‘Kitne all-rounders chaiye?’ Ashwin blows up at Gautam Gambhir, warns Kuldeep Yadav snub is a ticking pressure bomb

Kuldeep Yadav was left out of India’s XI for the Perth ODI despite strong recent performances, leaving Ravichandran Ashwin frustrated with Gautam Gambhir.

Despite a game-changing spell in his last ODI, the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand, and finishing as the highest wicket-taker in India’s victorious men’s T20 Asia Cup campaign last month, followed by a Player of the Match performance in the Delhi Test against the West Indies last week, Kuldeep Yadav was left out of the playing XI for the ODI series opener against Australia in Perth on Sunday. The move left legendary Ravichandran Ashwin frustrated, as he questioned head coach Gautam Gambhir’s obsession with including more all-rounders solely to deepen the batting lineup.

Kuldeep Yadav was not picked for the 1st Australia ODI

Speaking on his YouTube show, Ashwin urged Gambhir to let go of his usual process of picking a combination and concentrate equally on the bowling department. The former India bowler, who retired from international cricket last December, found no logic in India not picking Kuldeep for the opening game at the Optus Stadium in Perth, where the big boundaries and the bouncy track could have aided him perfectly.

“I can understand why there are two spinners playing in the team, along with Nitish Reddy. They want that batting depth, because Axar and Washington can bat, but bowling ke upar bhi thoda dhayan dedo yaar (concentrate on bowling as well). In these big grounds, if Kuldeep can't bowl with a lot of freedom, then where will he play? And there will be overspin, which will get him more bounce,” he said.

Ashwin further said, sounding frustrated and fed up, that he couldn’t understand Gambhir’s obsession with extra batters and stressed that Kuldeep Yadav, being one of India’s best bowler in the squad, should always play.

“See, I understand that they will talk about this batting depth, but if that is going to help you win games, then batters should be able to take the responsibility. If they are playing extra batters, then they are again shielding the batting line-up. I will always say, play your best bowlers. Don't pick a player only because you want to extend your batting. Kitne all-rounders chaiye aapoko (How many all-rounders do you want)? You already have three already. Even after having Nitish in the side, if you can't play your best bowlers, then I can't get it at all.”

Ashwin further warned Gambhir that constantly denying Kuldeep Yadav a consistent spot could make him question his value in the squad, creating a potentially crushing mental struggle.

“I feel when a player gets dropped, he or she questions themselves: “Am I the reason the team will lose?” Kuldeep might have the same question in mind. If, after such good performances, he gets dropped and someone else gets a chance, he might be thinking he is the problem in the team. Whether he is or not is different, but this very thing causes a lot of debate within. It can be very crushing, and not many players can handle it. Keep direct communication with him,” he said.