India’s spinner Kuldeep Yadav has shared that former England batter Kevin Pietersen advised him not to limit himself to a purely defensive role during the ongoing England tour. The two worked closely during the IPL 2025 season with the Delhi Capitals, where Pietersen was part of the support staff.
Kuldeep was included in the Test squad alongside Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar to strengthen India’s spin attack, especially after Ravichandran Ashwin retired during the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He featured in the 2018 England tour but struggled in the Lord’s Test, going wicketless.
Despite a good white-ball record in England, he was not picked for the 2021–22 Test series, with India opting for experienced spin all-rounders. Kuldeep Yadav didn’t feature in the playing XI for the series opener at Headingley, but he is likely to get an opportunity later in the five-match series.
The left-arm spinner shared that Kevin Pietersen had helped him get ready for the England tour during the IPL 2025 season held in the subcontinent.
“Kevin Petersen was part of our team at DC. He gave me a lot of inputs for the England tour. He told me about fielding positions, pitches and the batsmen. We ran through their batting line up. He told me about the mindset needed in England,” Kuldeep said in an interview with the Indian Express.
“Pietersen said that generally spinners come to England with a defensive mindset. They think that in England, fast bowlers will get wickets and they will be in a supporting role. He told me to take the field with an attacking mindset. If I get a game and bowl 15 to 20 overs, I have to always think about how to get the batsmen out,” he added.
“No Wickets, No Place in the Team” – Kuldeep Yadav’s Clear Message
Team India are in urgent need of more wicket-taking options apart from Jasprit Bumrah. While Bumrah took a five-wicket haul in the match, the bowling attack looked ineffective in the second innings when he couldn’t make an early impact.
Kuldeep Yadav has played only two Tests outside Asia, including a poor outing at Lord’s. However, he also claimed a five-wicket haul in Sydney during the 2018–19 Border-Gavaskar series. His current form suggests he could be a strong wicket-taking option for India.
“Apan ko kuch aata nahi hai bowling ke aalava (I don’t know anything other than bowling). If you don’t take wickets, you can’t justify yourself for playing in England. If you don’t take wickets, I don’t think you deserve to play,” Kuldeep Yadav said.
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