Kuldeep Yadav left out as India pick four pacers for New Zealand ODI opener
Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav was left out of India’s playing XI for the first One Day International against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland. Skipper Shubman Gill won the toss on Wednesday and elected to bowl in a rain-affected match; the toss was delayed by 20 minutes.
India went with four pacers. Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj also missed a return to the side. Gill said the pace-heavy attack was intended to exploit the conditions.
Four pacers, and immediate reaction from fans
The decision placed the Kuldeep Yadav selection question back at the centre of India’s New Zealand tour. Social media reaction on Wednesday was sharply critical, with supporters arguing that a match-winning wrist-spinner should not have been dropped. One prominent fan description quoted in reports called him a “generational talent wasted.”
The omission was also prominent enough for India’s former player Ambati Rayudu to question India’s selection policy. Rayudu made his comments after India left Kuldeep Yadav out of the XI for the fourth T20I of the same New Zealand tour, saying that India could have used him. That New Zealand phase began with a three-match T20I series, which India won 3-2.
Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin weighed in with a predicted New Zealand ODI XI that likewise gave the Kuldeep Yadav puzzle a central place. His prediction was framed around the question of whether the left-arm spinner belonged in the one-day side.
A separate report shows him in the field
Coverage of India’s New Zealand ODIs has not all described the same XI outcome. Another NDTV report described Harshit Rana and Shubman Gill reacting when Kuldeep Yadav dropped what that outlet called an absolute sitter. That report referred to the first ODI of a three-match series, without reconciling the differing match descriptions.
The record sheets still argue for him
Kuldeep Yadav’s achievements give the selection debate considerable weight. Against Australia at Rajkot, he became the fastest Indian spinner to reach 100 wickets in ODIs, doing so during the second match of that series.
In the second Test against South Africa, he batted through part of India’s dramatic collapse. By the end of that series, he held the record for most deliveries faced by an Indian during South Africa’s summer season.
His record in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia has been described as impressive, with analysts saying his opportunities under head coach Gautam Gambhir have nevertheless been limited. Those analysts also argued that his wicket-taking ability remains strong.
Will he feature against Daryl Mitchell?
Cricbuzz framed the Kuldeep Yadav-Daryl Mitchell match-up as a game of moves and countermoves, indicating that the contest is considered one of the series’ substantive battles even when selection questions hang over India’s XI.
Sportskeeda’s assessment listed Kuldeep Yadav among the predicted top three wicket-takers for the NZ vs India 2026 ODIs. Rediff’s preview added pressure on both sides by warning that India’s inexperienced bowlers faced a stern test in New Zealand.
The immediate question now is whether India’s management gives Kuldeep Yadav an ODI role in the remaining games or keeps pressing ahead with a pace-heavy attack after Eden Park.
Sources
- A game of moves and countermoves: Daryl Mitchell vs Kuldeep Yadav — Cricbuzz
- Shubman Gill opts to bowl, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav miss out as India go with four pacers against — The Times of India
- No Place For Kuldeep Yadav In New Zealand ODIs? Ravichandran Ashwin's Big Playing XI Prediction — NDTV Sports
- India's Inexperienced Bowlers Face Stern Test Against New Zealand — Rediff
- NZ vs Ind 2026 – Will Kuldeep miss out in the ODI series as well? — Cricinfo
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