Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar has tipped Kuldeep Yadav to be the frontline spinner going ahead. Recently, Yadav had scalped eight wickets in the first Test match against Bangladesh and thus he was awarded the Player of the Match.
However, the wrist spinner was dropped from the second Test match against the Tigers despite performing well in the first game. Yadav has made a good comeback from injury and he will look to grab his opportunity in the upcoming matches.
Meanwhile, Kuldeep also scalped 21 wickets in 14 matches for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2022. The left-arm spinner is not part of the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka but he is part of the ODI series against the visitors.
Sanjay Bangar said on Star Sports show Game Plan, “I feel Kuldeep Yadav is the front-runner for the wrist-spinner slot because of the way he has performed. In my opinion, Kuldeep Yadav will be India’s frontline spinner going ahead.”
Bangar added the Uttar Pradesh spinner is reaping the rewards for working hard on his bowling.
“He has worked a lot on his bowling. He had an angular run-up earlier, he has straightened it quite a bit. His body is very nicely coming behind the ball, he has been successful in giving more revs to the ball and it is evident in the way he is bowling.”
Kuldeep has taken 119 wickets in the 73 ODI matches he has played but he has played only 17 ODIs in the last three years in which he has taken 20 wickets.
On the other hand, Bangar feels a spin-bowling all-rounder should partner Hardik Pandya for the ODI World Cup.
“I would say that it has to be a spin all-rounder because we do not have pace-bowling all-rounders. Yes, the Indian team had invested in Venkatesh Iyer or Shivam Dube. They got their opportunities but the Indian team didn’t persist with them.”
“In that case, it becomes prudent to shift your focus towards the spin all-rounders. There are enough options in that category. You can look at left-arm spin all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, or if both of them are not available, there is Shahbaz Ahmed, who has got a decent run with the Indian team as well.”
India will take on Sri Lanka on Tuesday in Mumbai.
