Former Indian spinner Murali Kartik has urged the team management to back Kuldeep Yadav ahead of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Yadav returned with decent figures of 2-76 in 18 overs in the first innings of the warm-up game against Sri Lanka XI but didn’t bowl in the second essay.

Kuldeep was part of the ODI team against England but didn’t even get a single game against the hosts. The wrist was not included in the third ODI despite the absence of gun fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Since July 2024, Kuldeep has featured in 38 games out of 103 matches across all formats for India.

Kartik was asked if he considered Kuldeep Yadav as the leader of the pack despite questions regarding his batting.

“He’s not a rabbit with the bat,” Kartik said on Sony Sports. “He can definitely hold the bat—we’ve seen him bat as a nightwatchman and occupy the crease for long periods. Maybe he doesn’t have the hitting ability of Jadeja and Ashwin, but I wouldn’t look at him from that angle. Look at him solely as a spin bowler, and he’s a wonderful bowler, a match‑winner who’s picked wickets in different countries.”

“The key is he needs to be handled well. He’s had his share of injuries, even recently he struggled with his groin. But every time we talk about him playing, he’s not featured. You want consistency for Kuldeep. As a spinner, you want to know you’re a certainty—then you work very differently. The way Rohit and Rahul handled him was different, and maybe that’s why Ashwin and Jadeja, who were part of that regime, feel that,” he added.

Kartik added that the team’s think tank needs to give the right confidence to Kuldeep Yadav to get the best out of him.

“It’s high praise coming from Ashwin, saying even with us around we treated him like a lead bowler. It’s about making any player feel wanted. Humans are involved, emotions are involved. If you handle Kuldeep Yadav really well, you’ll get the best out of him,” he added.

India will face Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle from August 15.