‘He should be included for his unique bowling style’: 1983 World Cup winner urges team to pick this player

After a month’s break, India will return to play in the Asia Cup next week. Former cricketer Madan Lal thinks India are the favorites to win and has suggested that spinner Kuldeep Yadav should be in the team for his special bowling style.

India will face UAE on September 10, then play Pakistan on September 14 in Dubai. Their last group match will be against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.

‘‘India is a strong favourite due to their skilled team. The unpredictability of the T20 format and the performances of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan — noting that Afghanistan is currently playing well. There is controversy over the team combination, particularly the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer, with selections often decided by selectors and coaches… Afghanistan is seen as a potential challenger to Pakistan, whose current performance and confidence levels are questioned. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are considered strong contenders,” Madan Lal told ANI.

”Kuldeep Yadav should be included in the team due to his unique bowling style, which is difficult to counter in T20 cricket, though the final decision depends on the wicket conditions and team combination. Two spinners and three pace bowlers should be included in Dubai.” he added.

Kuldeep Yadav didn’t get a chance to play in the recent five-Test series against England, but he has been picked for India’s Asia Cup squad. So far, he has taken 69 wickets in 40 international matches, with an excellent bowling average of 14.07. His best performance came against South Africa, where he picked up 5 wickets for just 17 runs.

Kuldeep Yadav has not played any international cricket since the IPL. In the 2025 season, he performed fairly well, taking 15 wickets in 14 matches. He averaged 24.07 with the ball and maintained an impressive economy rate of 7.08.