AUS vs IND 2025: Kuldeep Yadav released from T20I squad

Kuldeep Yadav (Source: BCCI/X)

Kuldeep Yadavhas been released from India's squad for Australia series in a bid to participate in the second four-day match between India A and South Africa A at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. 

The second four-day fixture against South Africa A is scheduled to commence on Thursday, November 6. India A won the first match at the CoE by three wickets on the back of an eight-wicket match haul by Tanush Kotian.

The decision from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is understood to be taken to provide Kuldeep some red-ball match practice as India will be hosting South Africa for an all-format series, comprising two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is.

Kuldeep, who was not part of the playing XI in the first two ODIs of the Australia series, returned figures of 1/50 in 10 overs in the third and final ODI in Sydney. The left-arm wrist spinner was also part of the first two T20Is in the ongoing five-match series. He did not have the best of times in the second T20I as he conceded 45 runs in 3.2 overs, picking two wickets.

The Men in Blue, who will be without Kuldeep for the remainder of the 20-over assignment, levelled the series with a five-wicket victory in Hobart. Arshdeep Singh (3/35 in 4 overs) and Washington Sundar (49* off 23) starred for the tourists.

India’s updated squad for 4th and 5th T20Is against Australia: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (vc), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar
 
India A’s updated squad for 2nd four-day game: Rishabh Pant (c) (wk), KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sai Sudharsan (vc), Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav