Indian international spinner Kuldeep Yadav is set to embark on his first-ever county cricket experience after signing with Yorkshire. The wrist-spinner will join the club for a two-part stint that begins with five 50-over matches in the One-Day Cup, scheduled between July 24 and August 2. He is then expected to return in September to participate in the club's final three County Championship fixtures of the season.
This arrangement is strategically split around India's upcoming two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in August, a series in which Kuldeep is expected to participate. His signing comes after he was notably sidelined during India's recent white-ball tour of Ireland and England, which concluded last Sunday at Lord's. The decision to exclude Kuldeep from the team, even following an injury to spin all-rounder Washington Sundar, had previously drawn criticism.
Expressing his enthusiasm for the move, Kuldeep stated that he has always enjoyed the challenge of playing in English conditions and is eager to contribute positively during his time at Headingley. Yorkshire's General Manager, Gavin Hamilton, welcomed the addition, noting that Kuldeep’s international experience and left-arm wrist-spin will provide a vital dimension to the team's lineup, especially as spin is expected to be influential during the closing stages of the season.
Kuldeep brings significant pedigree to the county, having claimed 79 wickets in 18 Test matches at an average of 22.35, along with 194 wickets in 121 ODIs, including a career-best of 6 for 25. He is also a two-time winner as part of India's T20 World Cup squads. Although he has been on three England tours, he has only made one red-ball appearance in the country, which occurred during the 2018 Lord's Test.
By debuting this Friday against Glamorgan, Kuldeep becomes the fifth Indian player to represent Yorkshire, following in the footsteps of Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Mayank Agarwal. He joins Manav Suthar as the second active Indian spinner currently competing in the championship, with Suthar representing Warwickshire.
He last featured in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in June, and has overall claimed 79 wickets in 18 Tests at an average of 22.35. His ODI returns are more prolific – 194 wickets in 121 games with a best of 6 for 25. He has also been part of two T20 World Cup-winning squads.
