Focus on Red-Ball Cricket

Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav said his focus is fully on red-ball cricket, where he aims to take regular wickets as an attacking spinner. His remarks came ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan, starting from June 6, where the Delhi Capitals (DC) player is expected to lead Team India's spin attack.

Kuldeep Yadav, who featured for DC in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, highlighted the importance of the upcoming Test series, especially the five-match home series against Australia, which will take place in January-March next year, in shaping India's campaign in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle, where India are placed sixth currently.

Speaking on JioHotstar, Kuldeep said, "As an attacking spinner, I want to get breakthroughs for the team regularly, and that's my only mindset.

My focus is fully on playing red-ball cricket. There are several important Test series coming up, especially the five-match series against Australia at home. That series will play a crucial role in determining our campaign in this World Test Championship cycle."

Kuldeep stressed the importance of having the right mindset and performing his role effectively in Test cricket. He said a strong spin attack can change the course of a match in any situation and is a key factor in a successful Test team, as quality spinners can take wickets in all conditions.

"It is important to have the right frame of mind and fulfill the role given to me to the best of my ability. I believe that if you have a quality spin attack in your team, you can break the game open in any situation. It is a huge component of a successful Test side because, if you have quality, you can take wickets anywhere, irrespective of the conditions," he said.

Preparations for Afghanistan Test

Speaking shared his thoughts on his preparations for the Afghanistan Test, being the lead spinner in the bowling attack.

Kuldeep said preparations for the Afghanistan Test have been going well, with two net sessions completed. He noted the absence of senior spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, but expressed confidence in the squad.

Kuldeep highlighted that young players like Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar, who have earned their maiden India call-ups, along with Washington Sundar, are well prepared due to regular involvement in India A tours and domestic red-ball competitions. "The preparations have been going well for the Afghanistan Test match.

We have had two net sessions so far. Yes, Jaddu bhai is not there. He is a regular in Tests. We will also miss Axar Patel. But the preparations have been good," he said. "Youngsters Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar are here. Washington is also playing Test cricket quite regularly now, so he is well settled in the setup. Over the last two years they have been part of India A tours. They are also playing the Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy regularly. They might lack international experience, but when it comes to preparation and match awareness when it comes to red-ball cricket, they are absolutely on top because they have been playing regularly," he added.

India Test squad vs Afghanistan

Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel. (ANI)

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