'One match he gets hit, and then he is dropped again' - Mohammad Kaif backs Kuldeep Yadav's return for 5th T20I

Kuldeep Yadav has been excluded from India's playing XI for the last two matches of the West Indies tour, despite an impressive recent record in T20 internationals. The left-arm wrist spinner was dropped for the 3rd T20I in Indore due to batting-friendly conditions on a flat pitch with small boundaries, and the same combination was retained for the 4th T20I in Hyderabad. India conceded 247 runs for three wickets in that match and lost by 24 runs, raising questions about the team's bowling strategy.

Mohammad Kaif has now backed Kuldeep Yadav for a return in the 5th T20I scheduled for October 17 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The former India batter believes the team's approach to setting run-restriction targets creates a defensive bowling mindset that undermines wicket-taking opportunities.

"There should be no talk of 200 or 250 in the team meeting. When such an atmosphere is created, the talk often becomes, 'Let's just not concede 250, let's try to get them around 200 and we will chase it down'. If a bowler sets out with this mindset, that they have to restrict the opposition to under 200, then they bowl defensively. That means you are bowling just to save yourself. Then the wicket-taking mindset will not be there," Kaif said on Cricbuzz.

Why Kaif backs Kuldeep Yadav's return?

Kaif emphasised that playing an additional specialist bowler like Kuldeep would shift the team's thinking towards more aggressive bowling targets. He highlighted the inconsistency in Kuldeep's selection despite his proven ability, noting that the spinner sits unused in the dugout only to be dropped after a single poor performance.

"But if you play an extra bowler, the thinking can be to restrict them under even 180. Play Kuldeep Yadav. You have a bowler like him sitting in the dug out. Sometimes he plays, then in one match he gets hit, and then he is dropped again," Kaif said.

"We are still figuring out our best playing XI. So, I think Kuldeep should definitely be there. Thinking that we can chase down 250 is a massive risk," he added.

Kuldeep Yadav's recent T20I record

Kuldeep Yadav's recent T20I form has been strong before his recent exclusion. He picked up at least one wicket in 14 of his last 15 T20I appearances, a run that began during the Asia Cup 2025. In the 2nd T20I against West Indies in Ranchi, Kuldeep took 1 wicket for 53 runs in a match where West Indies chased down a record 250. His last T20I appearance before the current series was on February 15, 2026 against Pakistan.