Why does Kuldeep Yadav remain outside India's default ODI XI?
Kuldeep's four-for-40 against West Indies shows the trade-off India keeps making when it chooses batting depth over a specialist wrist-spinner.
Kuldeep Yadav took four for 40 against West Indies in the first ODI, after the visitors had reached 135 without loss. He bowled 34 dot balls, broke the opening stand and removed centurion Justin Greaves.
India keep dropping him when they want an extra batter, whether that means Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel or Washington Sundar. The wrist-spinner has played 122 ODIs since 2017, yet the same selection doubts return after every quiet spell.
Captain Shubman Gill said Kuldeep turned the match when India were on the back foot. The spell followed a lean run that included limited chances across formats and a wicketless outing against Afghanistan earlier this year.