Once an almost unbreakable spin duo, KulCha or Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal find themselves at loggerheads for a spot in the Asia Cup 2023 and World Cup 2023. IND vs WI series was the one where Yuzvendra Chahal needed to prove his mettle once again for ODI selection. But his best friend in India Cricket Team, Kuldeep Yadav stole the thunder. On Saturday, in the India vs West Indies 4th T20, the leg-spinner made an immediate impact while Chahal could not quite manage to impress.
For instance, Kuldeep Yadav was at his best with two wickets in his very first over against West Indies in Florida on Saturday. Chahal, on the other hand, went for 36 in exchange for just a lone scalp. In four matches, he ended up with 5 wickets. His immediate competitor bagged 6 in three games and managed a better economy of 5.63. Chahal has been bowled at an economy rate of 8.00.
While many may think performances in the T20s won’t be the selection criteria for Asia Cup 2023, selectors are keeping a close tab on everyone’s performances. Kuldeep had already bagged the bragging rights with 7 wickets in three ODIs against West Indies while Chahal only warmed the bench.
Kuldeep vs Chahal in last 12 months
| Player | Format | Mat | Wkts | Best | Econ | 4W | 5W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kuldeep Yadav | ODI | 18 | 32 | 4/6 | 4.82 | 2 | 0 |
| T20I | 6 | 8 | 3/28 | 5.85 | 0 | 0 | |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | ODI | 5 | 3 | 2/43 | 6.14 | 0 | 0 |
| T20I | 17 | 17 | 3/34 | 8.27 | 0 | 0 |
No KulCha in Asia Cup 2023?
- Team India are expected to carry an 18-member squad instead of 15 players.
- But among the backups, it is highly likely that Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, as well as someone like Tilak Varma, could get a look in.
- Yuzvendra Chahal, if lucky, can only be a backup option for Kuldeep Yadav.
- Furthermore, India will have a greater pace bowling depth to try out combinations while finalising the squad for World Cup.
- Hence, Yuzvendra Chahal could very well find himself on the bench once again with Kuldeep taking the leg-spinner’s spot.
- With Kuldeep Yadav playing 18 ODIs in the last 12 months and Chahal only 5, the indications are already there that selectors prefer the former in the 50-over format.
- And Kuldeep has nosed ahead with tight spells even when he hasn’t been successful with wickets.
- In the last 12 months, Kuldeep has bowled at an economy rate of 4.82 in ODIs. Chahal has had an economy of 6.14. In T20Is, Chahal has an economy rate of 8.27.
