Why Kuldeep Yadav is Not Playing Today in IND vs NZ 5th T20I?

Team India and New Zealand are set to play the last and the final T20I of the 5-match series on January 31 in Thiruvananthapuram. The Men in Blue are leading the series 3-1, and have produced a fantastic performance in the first three games.

In the 5th match, skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and decided to bat first as he wants to test his team against the dew. He announced the changes to the side but Kuldeep Yadav's exclusion came as a shock for the fans.

Why Kuldeep Yadav is Not Playing Today Against New Zealand?

India's left-arm unorthodox bowler, Kuldeep Yadav, has been omitted from the final game of the series against New Zealand. He is a key member of India's T20I team, which makes his absence even more questionable.

Mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, who was rested in the previous game, has been picked as Kuldeep Yadav replacement. Chakaravarthy has been doing well in this format, and has also established himself as one of the best T20 bowlers in the world. Apart from him, India also made a few other changes where Axar Patel and Ishan Kishan come back into the Playing 11.

With the T20 World Cup 2026 coming up after a week, the players' workload has been taken care of quite carefully. The Indian team management still out their trust on Sanju Samson, however, he failed to deliver in this match as well. In the bowling front, Harshit Rana has been left out of the team as Axar Patel makes his way back into the team in IND vs NZ 5th T20I.

How has Kuldeep Yadav Fared Ahead of T20 World Cup 2026?

Kuldeep Yadav, one of the best spinners in the world, is a key player in the Indian team and his form will be crucial ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. In the ongoing series, Kuldeep played three games and claimed four wickets at an average of 26.50.

The left-arm wrist-spinner can bowl with variations and will be key in the middle overs, however, he isn't the first-choice spinner in the T20Is as India prefers Chakaravarthy over him. Kuldeep's role in the home conditions can determine India's performance in the upcoming T20 World Cup.

India Playing 11 for 5th T20I Against New Zealand

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah