India’s left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been released from India’s T20I squad in Australia to prepare for the upcoming South Africa Test series. The BCCI confirmed that the decision was taken after a request from the Indian team management. This move gives Kuldeep enough time to adjust his focus from white-ball cricket to red-ball conditions.
Kuldeep Yadav Returns to Join India A Squad
To prepare for the Tests, Kuldeep Yadav will join the India A team for the second four-day match against South Africa A. The match starts on November 6 at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Playing in home conditions will help the spinner find rhythm. It also allows him to gain longer spells before the main series. India A recently won the first match, where Rishabh Pant impressed with a fluent 90 while chasing 275.
BCCI Confirms Kuldeep Yadav’s Release
The BCCI stated that Kuldeep Yadav’s release from the T20I squad was part of a larger rotation plan. He featured in one ODI and the first two T20Is. However, he missed the third match in Hobart, where Washington Sundar played instead. The Indian team will play the last two T20Is in Carrara and Brisbane on November 6 and 8.
SQUAD UPDATE: Kuldeep Yadav has been released from the T20I squad in Australia.
— wicketbuzz (@wicketbuzz) November 2, 2025
The move was requested by team management to allow him to get red-ball game time in the India A vs South Africa A series ahead of the upcoming Tests.
📸:Getty#KuldeepYadav #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/hBnLo6RV2t
Focus Shifts to South Africa Test Series
India’s management wants Kuldeep sharp for the India vs South Africa Test series starting on November 14 in Kolkata. His recent form in limited-overs cricket has been excellent. A return to the red-ball format could further strengthen India’s spin attack. The decision also reflects India’s intent to manage player workload carefully before the long home season.
Squads for the Upcoming Matches
India T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (vc), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.
India A Squad: Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav.
