Why is Kuldeep Yadav Not Playing Today in IND vs SA 1st T20I?

With the ODI series now over, the caravan moves on to the five-match T20I series between India and South Africa. South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl first in today's first T20I between India and South Africa at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. The Indian cricket team will play with only three frontline bowlers and three all-rounders in Cuttack.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed the playing XI after losing the toss at the Barabati Stadium. Kuldeep Yadav, one of India's top wicket-takers in the format, was left out of the playing XI, which is surprising since he ranks among the best spinners in the world. Kuldeep will not be playing the IND vs SA T20I in Cuttack on Tuesday. Earlier, his performance in the ODI series earned him the impact player honour in the dressing room.

Why is Kuldeep Yadav Not Playing Today in IND vs SA 1st T20I?

However, Kuldeep was overlooked for the first game against South Africa, as Varun Chakravarthy is India's favoured option in the squad. Hence, Varun came in as Kuldeep Yadav replacement for this match. Kuldeep performed admirably in all three of the One-Day Internationals against South Africa. He helped the Men in Blue win the series 2-1 by taking two four-wicket hauls. He has dismissed 88 batsmen in 49 T20I games for India thus far. In 2025, he has taken 58 wickets in 24 games this year across all formats.

In the India vs South Africa 1st T20I, Chakravarthy and Patel will combine spin duties with India opting for a two-man pace attack with Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya the bowling all-rounders. Due to the dew effect, India chose a pace-heavy combination, and Kuldeep Yadav's exclusion seemed to be a tactical decision. The front-line quicks are Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, two of the best T20 bowlers in the world.

Shubman Gill & Hardik Pandya Return

After both players recovered from their injuries, India welcomed Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya back into the team. After getting injured in Kolkata Test, Gill was ruled out of the next Test in Guwahati, as well as the three-match series of ODIs. Following the recovery process at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, the right-handed batter was cleared for the T20I series after receiving the required clearance from the medical personnel.

At the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Hardik Pandya made a spectacular comeback to competitive cricket by hitting a 42-ball 77 not out for Baroda in a challenging chase against Punjab and fulfilling his ball quota. Pandya's workload is anticipated to be tightly monitored as India is scheduled to play five Twenty20 Internationals against South Africa and another five against New Zealand.

However, reports suggest that he might not play every game as the team management will look to manage his workload ahead of an important tournament. With his ability to take the new ball, Hardik Pandya is able to provide flexibility to play an extra fast bowler, which makes him a valuable player for India.