‘Shardul Thakur over Kuldeep Yadav is horrific’: Twitter slams Gautam Gambhir after spinner’s snub vs England

The India National Cricket Team has decided to go with the heavy batting line-up for the five-match Test series opener against England in Leeds, resulting in Kuldeep Yadav having to sit out. The tourists went with a sole spin option, and that too an experienced all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja.

Indian captain Shubman Gill lost the toss, and England captain Ben Stokes opted to bowl first in the first Test at the Headingley Oval. After the toss, Gill confirmed that the debutant Sai Sudharsan will bat at No. 3, and Karun Nair is also making a comeback, and he will bat at No. 6.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul will open, followed by Sai, Shubman, Rishabh Pant, Nair, Jadeja, and Shardul Thakur against England. The Indian side went with a three-bowling pace attack led by Jasprit Bumrah for the five-match Test series opener against Ben Stokes and Co. at Headingley.

India drop Kuldeep Yadav, pick Shardul Thakur for extra pace in Headingley Test

Bumrah will be supported by the experienced pacer Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. However, the trio have a right-arm pace bowling all-rounder, Shardul Thakur, to share some overs in Leeds. Thakur is known for his ability to hit the pitch hard and surprise batters with extra bounce.

The seamer’s deliveries often move off the seam unexpectedly, making it tough for batters to handle him. This unique skill makes Thakur a valuable asset, and the Indian team management decided to make the most of it on the grassy and flatter deck at the Headingley Stadium.

But India will rely only on Ravindra Jadeja if the pitch starts spinning later in the match. Well, Gill has not mentioned anything about Kuldeep Yadav’s omission from the playing XI. The Indian captain has not mentioned whether it was a tactical reason or a fitness issue behind Kuldeep’s snub.

Shubman Gill completely ignored Kuldeep Yadav?

Shubman Gill said at the toss, “Would’ve bowled first as well; it might be a bit tough in the first session, but it should be good to bat on later. The sun is out; it should be a good batting deck for us. Preparation has been amazing; we played a practice game in Beckenham, and the lads are feeling great. Sai makes his debut; Karun comes in. Sai will bat at three.”

After the announcement of the playing XI, fans have been calling out the Indian team management for giving the same treatment to Kuldeep that Ravichandran Ashwin used to get on overseas tours. Some felt the chinaman bowler should have been picked instead of Thakur in XI for the Headingley Test. However, many backed India’s call considering the Leeds conditions.

Here’s how fans reacted to Kuldeep Yadav’s snub:

Is Kuldeep Yadav inheriting the painful chalice from which @ashwinravi99 was forced to drink time after time#ENGvIND
P.S. warm gesture wearing a band to condole the victims in the Ahmedabad air crash pic.twitter.com/caCXBUttrp

— Anand Datla 🇮🇳 (@SportASmile) June 20, 2025

Kuldeep yadav ko lena tha Shardul Thakur ki jagah,aur Sarfaraz ko kilana tha Karun Nair ki jagah. L team

— ShadowOG (@MSDIANSHADOW) June 20, 2025

Feel for kuldeep yadav 🥲

— Kruthik Parmar ‌ಕೃತಿಕ್ ಪರ್ಮಾರ್ कृतिक परमार🇮🇳 (@KruthikParmar) June 20, 2025

Conditions are king but there’s absolutely no conditions in the world where Shardul Thakur is a better wicket taking option than Kuldeep Yadav..
Really sad selection tbh.

— Kirketview (@kirketview2706) June 20, 2025

India bowling last here. If the pitch stays dry, Kuldeep Yadav might have been helpful.

— Lawrence Booth (@BoothCricket) June 20, 2025

What’s with gambhir and not trusting kuldeep yadav???

— JUJU (@Jujuproponent) June 20, 2025

Feel for Kuldeep Yadav but bringing him to the mix might burden pacers
Jaddu and Karun will give you spin

— Mohith Reddy (@DrMohithK_reddy) June 20, 2025

Again no kuldeep yadav…shouldi remind of the times we haven’t played a spinner..jadeja is pure allrounder#indiaenglandseries

— Veer Singh (@VeerSingh_cric) June 20, 2025

Shardul over Kuldeep is horrific decision making. Sack Gambhir immediately.

— *__* (@smokestack21X) June 20, 2025

India’s mixed history at Headingley; Jasprit Bumrah set for major milestone

Meanwhile, the last time India played at Headingley, they had a forgettable outing, getting bowled out for just 78 runs, which was their third-lowest Test total in England.

Interestingly, Headingley ground also saw one of India’s best performances, when they scored a massive 628, their second-highest total in the country.

On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah is on the verge of achieving a big milestone. He needs just five more wickets to become the first Indian bowler to take 150 Test wickets in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia).

Among all Asian bowlers, only Pakistan’s Wasim Akram has more—146.

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Author: Rashmi Wasnik