Ashwin: Kuldeep's confidence shaken before World Cup

Ravichandran Ashwin believes Kuldeep Yadav's confidence was shaken during the recent ODI series against New Zealand, potentially impacting his readiness for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has voiced concerns that leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav's confidence may have been affected following a difficult ODI series against New Zealand. Yadav had a rare below-par performance, securing just three wickets at an average of 60.66, which Ashwin believes could impact his preparation for the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup.

During the series, New Zealand batters adopted a proactive approach, targeting the Indian spinners. Daryl Mitchell was particularly effective, amassing 352 runs with two centuries. Ashwin emphasized the need for spinners like Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, who went wicketless, to "expand their game" and become more creative, especially when batters are aggressive.

Ashwin also noted issues with India's batting against newcomer Jayden Lennox. He suggested that Indian batters should have been more proactive in their approach against the young New Zealand spinner. Lennox stifled the Indian batting lineup in the final two ODIs, finishing with three wickets.

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