India spinner Kuldeep Yadav is not playing the ongoing second T20I against West Indies at the Providence Stadium due to a hand injury. Co-incidentally, Yadav had missed out on action for a couple of months between June-August due to a similar injury 14 months ago as well.
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Yadav’s absence is the only forced change for the visiting team today. With spinner Ravi Bishnoi part of a 15-member Indian squad, he has replaced Yadav in the Playing XI. In addition to Yuzvendra Chahal, the development has made space for a couple of leg-spinners in the Indian Playing XI.
Readers must note that Bishnoi is playing an international match exactly 10 months after his ODI debut against South Africa at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium last year.
Kuldeep Yadav Injures Hand Again To Miss IND vs WI 2nd T20I
India captain Hardik Pandya announced the aforementioned change to the combination at the toss. To not worry millions of fans with respect to an in-form bowler’s fitness at a time when a few Indian cricketers are already injured weeks before Asia Cup 2023, Pandya made it a point to mention that Yadav has been left out as a “precautionary measure”.
“Kuldeep [Yadav] got a hit on the hand yesterday in the nets. It is not serious and just a precautionary measure,” Pandya told the host broadcaster in Guyana on Sunday.
Kuldeep Yadav Was Ruled Out Of South Africa T20Is Last Year
It is worth of a mention that Yadav was ruled out of a five-match T20I series against South Africa at home last year after suffering a hairline fracture in his wrist whilst also batting in the nets. Slated to play at the highest level right after Indian Premier League 2022, Yadav also ended up missing out on a T20I tour of Ireland and an all-format tour of England before making a comeback in West Indies a year ago.
“Disappointed to miss out on the SA series due to an injury, but I am sure the boys will give their best on the pitch, and I am backing them all the way. Looking forward to coming back stronger,” Yadav had written on KOO.
It is to be noted that this was Yadav’s second injury within a year or so. Having missed the entirety of Indian Premier League 2021 due to a knee injury, the left-arm wristspinner spent several months in rehabilitation before making a comeback in a home ODI against West Indies in February 2022.
