Kuldeep Yadav (PTI Photo).
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named an 18-member Indian cricket team squad for the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. The series begins on November 22 in Perth followed by matches in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
Besides Mohammed Shami and Axar Patel, two of the most notable absences in the squad, there is no Kuldeep Yadav either.
The left-arm wrist-spinner featured in the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru before making way for Washington Sundar in Pune for the second contest.
BCCI clarified the reason behind not naming the 29-year-old in the tour Down Under.
“Kuldeep Yadav was unavailable for selection for the tour of Australia since he has been referred to the BCCI Centre of Excellence after the end of the ongoing Test series against New Zealand for long term resolution of his chronic left groin issue,” the Board said.
Against New Zealand, Kuldeep took three wickets in the first innings, including that of Rachin Ravindra who proved to be the decisive figure in the visitors' eight-wicket win.
Besides Kuldeep, Mohammed Shami and Axar Patel didn't make the squad either. Yet, India boast a strong bowling lineup.
Shami, who had last featured in the ODI World Cup in November 2023, did not recover from a knee injuy in time despite repeated self-assurances of being fit in time for the flight out.
Axar, meanwhile, has been named in the T20 squad that would travel to South Africa for a four-match series, starting next month.
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