Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has backed Kuldeep Yadav strongly, calling the left-arm wrist-spinner the best all-format spinner in the world right now while expressing concern over the lack of consistent opportunities the bowler has received from India’s selectors.
Clarke’s remarks arrive against a backdrop of repeated non-selection for Kuldeep across formats. India’s selectors dropped him from the Test XI during the Sri Lanka series after the opening Test in Galle did not go to plan. Around the same period, he found himself outside the T20I squad for both the Afghanistan series and the Asian Games scheduled for September 2026.
“There are very few spinners playing all three formats. I think Kuldeep Yadav is the best all-format spinner in the world at the moment. He’s a very good short-form bowler. But he’s not getting enough opportunities. Though I think he’ll play for India against Australia,” Clarke said on the Beyond23 Podcast.
Why has Kuldeep Yadav been left out of India’s squads?
Kuldeep’s absence from India’s squads is not a recent development. During India’s five-Test tour of England, he was part of the travelling group but never made it into the playing XI across any of the matches, a situation that clearly weighed on him. Kuldeep had earlier addressed the frustration of being present without playing, specifically on the England tour.
“Sometimes you just have to go with the team combination or strategy, unfortunately or fortunately. Definitely you feel bad for yourself when you’re not playing, when you’re not part of the playing XI. You want to play because when you are in the squad you want to play, but sometimes it doesn’t happen because of the whatever the management thinks. Last year, I was hoping to get a chance in a few games but it’s okay. Maybe next time,” Kuldeep said in an interview with TalkSport.
The pattern of non-selection has persisted even as Kuldeep has continued to perform in competitive cricket away from the national setup, which makes Clarke’s public backing all the more notable.
How has Kuldeep Yadav performed in county cricket?
Kuldeep gave a compelling answer to his critics with a landmark performance for Yorkshire in the County Championship Division One. Playing against Essex at Headingley from September 8 to 10, 2026, he claimed 4 for 70 in the first innings before returning career-best figures of 6 for 50 in the second, finishing with match figures of 10 for 120.
It was his maiden first-class 10-wicket match haul, and it came in conditions outside the subcontinent, which adds considerable weight to Clarke’s argument about his credentials across formats. Yorkshire won the match by an innings and 106 runs inside three days, with Kuldeep’s bowling central to the comprehensive victory over Essex.