On the eve of India’s one-off Test against Afghanistan, head coach Gautam Gambhir said one of Manav Suthar or Harsh Dubey would serve as the fourth spinner for the two-match series against Sri Lanka in August. Suthar was selected and took seven wickets, including six in the first innings at New Chandigarh. He also scored 28 runs, which the batting coach called satisfying after India’s innings victory by 300 runs. With Ravindra Jadeja rested and Washington Sundar established as an all-rounder, plus Suthar’s emergence, questions arise about Kuldeep Yadav’s future role. The management shows limited confidence in his batting. He did not feature in the England Tests despite conditions that might have suited his bowling. Under Gambhir, multi-skilled players are favored for added batting depth. Since returning from England, Kuldeep has taken 23 wickets in five Tests but often without major impact. In Guwahati against South Africa he claimed four wickets in the first innings at nearly four runs per over and none in the second. Against Afghanistan he took no wickets in his first-innings spell of 10 overs and only three in the second, two of them tailenders. He has been left out of upcoming T20I squads and played just one match in the 2026 T20 World Cup. His IPL season yielded only 10 wickets in 12 matches at over 10 runs per over. In 18 Tests across three coaches, his opportunities have been limited by competition from all-round spinners. He now faces another uncertain phase in his career.
