Will Kuldeep Yadav return to India lineup? Abhishek Nayar predicts India XI vs Austalia in 2nd ODI at Adelaide – Sporting News

Saurav Goyal
(getty)
After India’s disappointing seven-wicket loss to Australia in the first ODI at Perth, former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar believes the team might make a crucial change for the second match in Adelaide.
According to Nayar, Kuldeep Yadav could make a comeback into the playing XI, replacing one of the fast bowlers. In the opening match, India fielded three pace bowlers as Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Mohammed Siraj made it to the lineup.
Add The Sporting News as a preferred news source
Kuldeep’s absence in the series opener surprised many fans, especially after his brilliant run in the Asia Cup 2025, where he picked up 17 wickets and played a vital role in India’s title win.
Speaking on Star Sports, Abhishek Nayar shared his thoughts about India’s possible lineup change. He recommended that since two of Australia’s three wickets in Perth were taken by spinners, head coach Gautam Gambhir might decide to bring Kuldeep back for the second ODI.
“Let me make a guess. I’ll take a guess. There’s just going to be one replacement in the next match. I think Kuldeep Yadav will come in and one fast bowler will miss out is my understanding of it. He will still want batting depth,” said Nayar.
“He will still go one fast bowler less because even in game when the ball was seaming, swinging and doing a bit, Axar Patel picked up a wicket, Washington Sundar picked up a wicket and the sole wicket that a fast bowler got was Arshdeep Singh,” he added.
READ: SKY did not want Gill in India's Asia Cup 2025 squad – Report
Nayar further explained that the pitch and conditions at the Adelaide Oval are likely to suit Kuldeep’s style of bowling. He described Kuldeep as India’s “biggest threat” to the Australian batting lineup.
“India understands that Kuldeep is a real match-winner in these conditions. He gets good pace off the surface and makes it tough for batters to pick his variations,” Nayar said. “The conditions are going to suit him. Between overs 15 to 35, India will need someone like Kuldeep to break partnerships and create pressure.”
He also recalled how the Kuldeep Yadav–Varun Chakravarthy combination worked wonders during the Champions Trophy and against England in India.
With Chakravarthy missing from the current squad, Nayar believes Kuldeep’s inclusion could balance the attack and strengthen India’s middle overs.
ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025: Schedule, fixtures, match times, latest results, and points table
‘Doesn’t matter how big you are’ — Mohammad Kaif slams Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for lack of preparation for IND vs AUS ODIs
All the latest cricket news
Saurav Goyal is a Content Producer at the Sporting News with over two years of experience in covering cricket. An avid cricket fan for more than two decades, his passion for the game led him to writing. Since then, he’s been delivering the latest news and engaging content to keep cricket fans informed and entertained.

source