Umesh Yadav opens up on his India comeback, says he wants to give his best

Indian veteran fast bowler Umesh Yadav is not losing hope regarding his comeback into the national team. Yadav last played a Test match against Australia, which was the World Test Championship final 2021-23 at the Oval. 

The right-arm pacer from Vidarbha had gone wicketless in the first innings but bagged two wickets in the second innings when India suffered a huge 209-run loss.

Meanwhile, Yadav had gone unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction. The fast bowler has almost recuperated from the leg muscle injury and he is looking to play matches to prove his fitness.

Yadav aspires to make a comeback into India’s Test team. He said in an interview with Sportstak, “Efforts to make a comeback are complete. I cannot select myself. I will have to play some matches, get fit. To come back, I will have to play competitive cricket. My effort is to get fit and come back in the team. When I started playing cricket, I never thought that I will play this, I will play that, I would play for India.”

Yadav said some things are meant to happen and he never thought he would play for India at the top level.

“I am a natural fast bowler. I have been bowling fast since childhood. I never went to any academy or nets. That is why I never thought that I would play for India. I kept on playing. Someone told me to play this, someone told me to play that. While playing, the son of a coal miner is sitting here playing for India. I think some things that are meant to happen, happen. I always say that fast bowlers are natural; you cannot make them fast bowlers.”

Umesh Yadav has played 57 Test matches for India, picking 170 wickets, including a 10-wicket haul and three five-wicket hauls.