Umesh Yadav IPL 2022 wickets: Umesh Yadav joins the Indian squad for the Australia T20Is as a replacement player.
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Umesh Yadav, who has been named as a replacement for COVID-19 positive Mohammed Shami for the three-match T20I series against Australia, arrived in Chandigarh on Sunday morning to join the Indian team ahead of the first T20I on Tuesday at PCA Stadium in Mohali.
The 34-year-old Vidarbha pacer had last played a T20I for India against Australia on February 24, 2019. If he is named in the Playing XI for the upcoming matches, it will be his first T20I appearance for the Men-in-Blue in 43 months.
Yadav has played a total of seven T20Is for India to date in his 10-year-old T20I career. He made his T20I debut for India against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. Yadav’s nine T20I wickets have come at an average of 24.33, an economy rate of 8.76 and a strike rate of 16.6.
Since the last World Cup, India has played loads of T20i games but Md. Shami and Umesh Yadav didn’t feature in any one of them…and with just four weeks to the World Cup, both have become a part of the plans. Plans gone a little awry?
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) September 18, 2022
Umesh Yadav IPL 2022 wickets
Yadav has been recalled to the squad on the back of good white-ball form despite not representing India for a long time. Unsold in Indian Premier League 2022 auction initially, Yadav played for the Kolkata Knight Riders this year picking 16 wickets for the Shreyas Iyer-led side. His economy rate was also very impressive during the entire season as it was just a little more than 7.
Fans of Mohammed Siraj have been questioning the decision of picking Yadav over him on social media but they need to understand that Siraj was not available for selection. Siraj, who has played all three formats of international cricket this year, is currently plying his trade for Warwickshire in County Championship.
While Yadav was also playing County cricket for Middlesex, he returned to India following a quad injury. Timely recovery at the National Cricket Academy has resulted in the right-arm bowler earning a comeback. Yadav’s knack for picking up wickets in the powerplay will surely benefit India against the Aussies this week.
