Rest, viral and not in India's XI for Colombo Test: Mysterious case of Kuldeep
Conflicting explanations from the Indian camp have added intrigue to Kuldeep Yadav's absence from the Colombo Test, with the chinaman missing out as India handed Saransh Jain a debut. Kuldeep did travel with the team and was also spotted in the dugout alongside Sarfaraz Khan. The official word from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) remains "viral illness".
Sitanshu Kotak, India's batting coach, explained that Kuldeep Yadav was unavailable for the second Test against Sri Lanka due to a viral illness. Kotak stated that Kuldeep had been experiencing discomfort since the team left Galle after the series opener. He emphasized that there was no need to speculate about what would have been done if Kuldeep had been fit, as it would be unfair to think like that.
India opted for 33-year-old Saransh Jain to debut as Kuldeep was not in a position to play. Kotak noted that this decision was straightforward, given the presence of left-handers in the opposition's top order. Different accounts have emerged from India regarding Kuldeep's absence, with spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule saying the chinaman and KL Rahul were resting.
Kuldeep did travel with the team and was spotted in the dugout alongside Sarfaraz Khan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that Kuldeep was unavailable due to a viral illness and that he can take the field as a concussion substitute if needed.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
