Archive · 23 Aug 2026
India Explains Kuldeep Yadav’s Second-Test Omission
Kuldeep Yadav did not play India’s second Test against Sri Lanka.
India’s batting coach said Kuldeep had a sore throat and viral fever.
He said the illness was real and that the team did not pretend he was sick.
Kuldeep was feeling better later, but he was still unavailable for the match.
India picked debutant spinner Saransh Jain because Sri Lanka had four left-handed batters.
The coach also praised Devdutt Padikkal for scoring another Test century.
Rishabh Pant hurt his forearm but was expected to bat again.
The coach said Yashasvi Jaiswal’s argument with a Sri Lankan bowler happened in the heat of the moment.
Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said Kuldeep Yadav missed the second Test because of a genuine viral illness.
Kotak rejected suggestions that India had used illness as an excuse to leave out the spinner.
Kuldeep had recovered reasonably well but was unavailable when India selected its XI.
India chose debutant off-spinner Saransh Jain partly because Sri Lanka’s top order contained four left-handers.
Kotak praised Devdutt Padikkal’s second successive century and said Rishabh Pant was expected to resume batting after a forearm injury.
- Who
- India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, spinner Kuldeep Yadav, and debutant Saransh Jain were central to the discussion.
- What
- Kotak explained Kuldeep’s omission from India’s second-Test XI and rejected speculation that his illness was fabricated.
- When
- The clarification was given on Sunday, August 23, 2026, after the first day of the second Test.
- Where
- The discussion took place in Colombo; Kotak said Kuldeep had become ill after India left Galle.
- Why
- Kuldeep was unavailable because of a viral illness, while Sri Lanka’s four left-handed top-order batters influenced India’s choice of an off-spinner.
Team’s Illness Explanation
Selection Skepticism
Reason for Kuldeep’s absence
Team’s Illness Explanation
Kotak said Kuldeep genuinely had a sore throat and viral fever after the first Test and was not in a position to play.
Selection Skepticism
The omission prompted speculation that Kuldeep had been dropped, particularly because he had traveled with the team and had not trained before the match.
Whether Kuldeep would have played fit
Team’s Illness Explanation
Kotak called that question irrelevant, saying there was no reason for India to fake an illness if it wanted to select an off-spinner.
Selection Skepticism
The question reflected doubts about whether Kuldeep remained part of India’s preferred playing XI and whether captain Shubman Gill considered him the first-choice spinner.
Reported explanation for missed training
Team’s Illness Explanation
Kotak attributed Kuldeep’s absence to illness and said he had recovered reasonably well but was unavailable for the match.
Selection Skepticism
Spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule had earlier attributed Kuldeep’s two missed net sessions to travel-related fatigue or rest, creating differing explanations.
- India’s score
- India finished day one on 300 for five.
- Kuldeep’s illness
- Kotak said Kuldeep had a sore throat followed by a viral fever.
- Replacement
- Uncapped off-spinner Saransh Jain replaced Kuldeep and made his Test debut.
- Sri Lanka lineup
- Sri Lanka had four left-handers in its top order.
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Padikkal scored 117 from 168 balls for his second successive century in the series.
- Rishabh Pant
- Pant retired hurt on three after being struck on the forearm by Lahiru Kumara.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Kotak described Jaiswal’s brief confrontation with Asitha Fernando as a heat-of-the-moment incident.
