'Shubman Gill doesn't have enough faith in Kuldeep Yadav' - Mohammad Kaif slams Indian captain for underutilising wrist spinner in Galle

India's 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle from August 15-19, 2026 saw an uneven distribution of bowling duties among the spin attack. Kuldeep Yadav, despite his proven record in overseas conditions, received limited opportunities.

While Manav Suthar claimed a 10-wicket haul in only his second Test appearance and Ravindra Jadeja bowled around 44 overs, Kuldeep managed just 25 overs across both innings, conceding 103 runs and taking one wicket.

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has now publicly criticised captain Shubman Gill's handling of Kuldeep in the Galle Test.

"From how he was used, it is clear that Shubman Gill doesn't have enough faith in Kuldeep Yadav. From my point of view, you would not get a unique bowler like Kuldeep that often. They come just once or twice in history. We may get Ravindra Jadeja's replacement in the future, like we have Suthar; then we had Washington Sundar after Ashwin, but Kuldeep is a unique gift," Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

Kuldeep's limited overs in the Galle Test

Kuldeep's career record in Test cricket underscores his value to the Indian team. The left-arm wrist-spinner has claimed 80 wickets in only 19 Tests at an average of 23.36. However, his form in 2026 has been challenging, with only 4 wickets across 2 Tests so far this year, averaging 41.25.

The case for backing Kuldeep's overseas record

Kaif emphasised the importance of giving wrist-spinners extended bowling spells to maintain their effectiveness. He highlighted the need to give wrist spinners longer spells so that they keep him in rhythm and allow him to rectify his mistakes. The former batter stressed that short, fragmented spells can disrupt a bowler's natural flow and prevent them from correcting errors during an innings.

"When you give a bowler a spell, especially a wrist-spinner, you need to give him a long spell. The short spells are not helping Kuldeep. Longer spells give you the chance to rectify mistakes. You need time to get into rhythm. Shubman Gill did not back him in that sense," he said.

Saransh Jain tipped for Colombo debut

Kaif also aligned himself with former head coach Ravi Shastri's assessment of Kuldeep's standing in Indian cricket. He said that he agrees with a previous observation made by former head coach Ravi Shastri that Kuldeep is India's number one spinner in overseas conditions and will play a major role on flat wickets or pitches with less turn on offer, which could be seen during two Tests against New Zealand away from home from November 19 onwards. This capability is expected to be crucial for India's upcoming tour.

"I agree with Ravi Shastri, who said that Kuldeep is our No. 1 spinner in overseas conditions. You just need accuracy on turning tracks. You will somehow get a wicket by bowling at the same area. But you won't get such turning tracks in New Zealand. I feel Kuldeep will play a major role on flat pitches or pitches where there would not be much turn on offer. You will have to keep his confidence high as captain and team management," Kaif said.

Also Read: Cheteshwar Pujara backs Kuldeep Yadav for Colombo Test despite Galle struggles

For the second Test starting in Colombo on August 23, Kaif predicted that Kuldeep may face the axe from the playing eleven. Kaif said. However, for the second Test starting in Colombo, Kaif feels India could give a debut cap to Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Saransh Jain, feeling that the right-hander could be handy against left-handed batters such as Niroshan Dickwella and Sonal Dinusha, who were among the runs at Galle. The 33-year-old cricketer played in the warm-up game against Sri Lanka XI but was wicketless in both innings.

"I feel India might be considering playing Saransh Jain in Colombo. The two batters who scored runs, Dickwella and Sonal, are both lefties. There came a time when Shubman Gill was searching for an off-spinner when they were batting. Because of Sri Lanka's in-form lefties, maybe Kuldeep will have to face the axe. It was Suthar vs Saransh earlier; now it will be Kuldeep vs Saransh," he signed off.