'There are so many players...' - Shardul Thakur reveals reason behind Kuldeep Yadav not playing in recently concluded ENG vs IND 2025 Test series

Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur has recently addressed the absence of star spinner Kuldeep Yadav and opener Abhimanyu Easwaran in the recently terminated Test series between England and India. Thakur, who participated in two of the five matches, said he understands those struggles ,as he too has endured bitter disappointments in similar situations, before understanding that players must sift through these situations with tenacity. Thakur also explained that team selection has a lot to do with conditions and combinations that prevent every quality player from playing all the time, especially in a squad full of quality players. 

The 33-year-old further backed Gautam Gambhir and team management’s decisions, highlighting that the selectors and coaches always prioritize fielding the best XI available from the squad. He noted that while many former players, commentators, and experts advocated for Kuldeep’s inclusion before the series began, the left-arm spinner ultimately returned from the long England tour without playing a single Test. Thakur’s remarks underline the competitive nature of the Indian setup, where even highly skilled players struggle for regular chances.

See Also: Asia Cup 2025: Why Shubman Gill should be selected in the squad?

“Unfortunately or fortunately, the competition is so high in India. There are so many players, and only 11 of them play at the end of the day. So we need to understand that probably this is the best 11 that management is looking at and you’ll have to repeatedly tell your mind this was not my game, that’s why I was not selected. Probably according to the pitch conditions or whatever atmospheric conditions, this is the best 11 that we could field for the day and I’m just not part of it,” the all-rounder said speakingh to RevSports.

Shardul Thakur disappointing performance in ENG vs IND 2025 Test series

Shardul Thakur featured in the series opener at Leeds but delivered an underwhelming performance, managing only five runs and picking up two wickets at an expensive economy of 5.56. Despite this, he returned to India’s XI in Manchester, largely because of Washington Sundar’s strong batting form and the absence of key pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep Singh in the fourth Test. The team management looked to Thakur for support in the all-rounder’s role, but the expectations placed on him were immense given the circumstances.

Unfortunately, Shardul failed to make a significant impact in his comeback game. While he did score a gritty 41 runs in the first innings, he went wicketless as England amassed a massive 669 in the penultimate clash of the series. In contrast, Washington Sundar proved far more effective, having already scored a crucial 52 in India’s big win at Edgbaston earlier in the series. Sundar finished with 284 runs, including a match-saving 101\* at Old Trafford, along with seven wickets across four Tests.