Kuldeep Yadav Praises Gill's Leadership: 'Fully Ready for Test

Kuldeep Yadav Gaining from Jadeja’s Wisdom Ahead of England Tour 🗣️ Learning from Ravindra Jadeja Kuldeep Yadav is actively learning from Ravindra Jadeja, both on and off the field, during India’s preparations for the England Test series. With Ravichandran Ashwin and Rohit Sharma no longer part of the Test setup, Kuldeep is seeking leadership and insight from Jadeja, especially on: Bowling strategies against aggressive English batters Field placements Match-day tactics "I'm spending a lot of time with Jaddu bhai. It's very important for me as a spinner now that Ash bhai isn't there," — Kuldeep Yadav 🧠 Why Kuldeep Matters for This Series Kuldeep has only one Test in England (Lord's, 2018 – 0 wickets), but since then: He’s become one of the most effective spinners in world cricket. 56 wickets in 13 Tests at an average of 22.16 and a strike rate of 37.3 — best strike rate ever for any Test spinner (min. 50 wickets). Played a key role in India's 4-1 series win vs England at home in 2024, taking 19 wickets in 4 Tests at 20.15. 🧩 Team Composition Consideration Jadeja is a lock-in due to his all-round skills, especially in English conditions. Kuldeep's inclusion depends on: The nature of the pitches (spin-friendly or not) India's preference for two spinners vs four fast bowlers Without Ashwin, Kuldeep is now India’s premier spin option if they go for two. 😄 On Bus Buddies & Team Dynamics Kuldeep now occupies the bus seat next to Jadeja that once belonged to Rohit Sharma. On this, he jokes: "I can never take Rohit bhai’s place." Emphasizes how he learned from both Ashwin and Rohit, and now seeks the same from Jadeja. In the wake of Rohit's retirement, India have handed the Test captaincy to Shubman Gill. Kuldeep felt Gill was "fully ready to lead" the side. "Shubman knows how to lead a team," Kuldeep said. "He has worked under the seniors in the last couple of years. In the last one year, you'd have seen him in a lot of discussions with Rohit bhai - not only in Tests but even in ODIs. I'm sure he has learned a lot, but as a leader, from what I have seen so far, he's very motivated and he's been playing an active role in lifting the team. "I have seen over the last three-four sessions that Shubman has the same qualities that I've seen in our previous leadership groups. He's fully ready to lead us."