ENG vs IND 2025: Why is Kuldeep Yadav not playing today in second Test between England and India?

The build-up to the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy was filled with speculation over Kuldeep Yadav’s inclusion, but the suspense ended when Indian captain Shubman Gill confirmed at the toss that the left-arm spinner would not be part of the playing XI. The second Test at Edgbaston, starting today (July 2), sees India once again opting for a different combination despite a five-wicket loss in the Leeds series opener, where they played just one spinner—Ravindra Jadeja—alongside four pacers. Kuldeep has an impressive record against England in Tests, with 21 wickets in six matches at an average of 22.28, but his only Test appearance in England remains the 2018 Lord’s game during India’s 1-4 series defeat.

Gill admitted they were tempted to include Kuldeep but instead chose to bolster the batting lineup. "Three changes—Reddy (Nitish), Washi (Sundar), and Akash Deep come in. No Bumrah. Just to manage his workload. Third Test being at Lord's, we think there'll be more in that pitch so we'll use him there. We were tempted to play Kuldeep but decided to add some depth to the batting," he said at the toss (via Cricbuzz). He added, “We wanted to strengthen our batting, and that is why Sundar is included in the team.” The veteran spinner also missed the first Test of the previous England series at home, where India lost in Hyderabad, only for Kuldeep to come back with 19 wickets in the remaining four matches, helping India overturn a 0-1 deficit into a 4-1 series win.

Despite his consistent performances, India has decided to leave Kuldeep once again. His last Test for India was against New Zealand in October 2024 in Bengaluru, where he took three wickets in the first innings and did not take a wicket in the second innings. India lost that match by eight wickets, and Kuldeep was then dropped for the next two Tests. A subsequent injury kept him out of the Australian Test tour as well.

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Kuldeep's Continued Test Snub Despite Strong Record

India's performance without Kuldeep has been lackluster, having lost six of their last eight Tests since the Bengaluru fixture. Despite an outstanding Test average of 22.16, which includes four five-wicket hauls, the 30-year-old has featured in just 13 Test matches since making his debut in 2017. Over seven years, Kuldeep’s red-ball career has been marked more by his absence than his inclusion, raising questions about India's strategy in Tests, particularly overseas.