Kuldeep Yadav dropped following a dispute with captain Suryakumar Yadav, says former cricketer

Ahmed Shehzad has slammed Team India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir for bringing politics into the dressing room. Gambhir is under pressure after the Men in Blue suffered a defeat against South Africa in their first match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which has impacted their semifinal chances. Also, the team combination and the selection of players have irked former cricketers.

Washington Sundar was preferred over vice-captain Axar Patel in a big match, with R Ashwin and others questioning the reason to drop the senior pro. Speaking on Haarna Mana Hai, Shehzad said that Gambhir changed when he served as a Member of Parliament during 2019-24.

“A complete focus is needed. Gambhir entered politics and his mindset changed. He was not successful as a politician. He brought the politics into the team environment. Gautam Gambhir’s politics has damaged the image of the Indian team,” Shehzad said.

He also accused Gambhir of not using his resources properly, pointing out the exclusion of Kuldeep Yadav, who has played one game in the ongoing T20 World Cup.

“Gambhir is not using the resources properly. A match-winner like Kuldeep Yadav is not playing,” he added.

Shehzad feels Kuldeep is sitting out due to his verbal slugfest with India captain Suryakumar Yadav following the team’s win against Pakistan. “Suryakumar Yadav pushed him during the match against Pakistan. People are saying that Kuldeep was dropped because of a disciplinary issue or his problem with Suryakumar Yadav. Otherwise, he would have played. Kuldeep is a match-winner,” he mentioned.

Shehzad said that pressure is mounting on the Indian head coach and Suryakumar, despite not losing a single series since becoming the coach and captain. India will play against Zimbabwe in their second Super 8 match on February 26.

The post Kuldeep Yadav dropped following a dispute with captain Suryakumar Yadav, says former cricketer appeared first on Read.