“Rahul or Hardik didn’t score many runs”: Ashwin shows mirror to Karthik for targeting Kuldeep Yadav

Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin defended Kuldeep Yadav from criticism during the Champions Trophy 2025. The left-arm wrist spinner struggled in some matches but played a crucial role in the final. He took the key wickets of Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson, helping India win against New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday, March 9.

Kuldeep faced a lot of backlash from fans and experts after his return from injury. He was not at his best in the ODI series against England as he worked to regain his rhythm. He even struggled in the Champions Trophy group stage against Pakistan. However, he bounced back strongly in the later stages of the tournament.

‘I felt that was very unfair’ – R Ashwin on Dinesh Karthik’s criticism for Kuldeep 

Ashwin responded to his former teammate Dinesh Karthik, who criticized Kuldeep’s performance during the final.

“My good friend Dinesh Karthik commented that Kuldeep Yadav hasn’t had his best tournament, and I felt that was very unfair,” Ashwin said.

He pointed out that Rohit Sharma had used Varun Chakaravarthy well, but that did not mean Kuldeep was not bowling well. Ashwin also blamed the over-reliance on statistics in modern cricket.

“Fans and experts look only at numbers and ignore the actual performance. Kuldeep went wicketless in the semi-final, and people started saying he does not perform in big matches. But if you watch his bowling closely, you will see his impact,” Ashwin explained.

He added that this mindset could lead to questioning even top players’ contributions.

“Would you say KL Rahul or Hardik Pandya had a bad tournament just because they didn’t score many runs? The same goes for Ravindra Jadeja. He bowled brilliantly, and if he had not taken wickets, people would have criticized him too,” Ashwin said.

Ashwin also gave Kuldeep some advice. “The only issue I have with Kuldeep is that he does not return to the stumps after bowling. In the last match, he missed a run-out chance. Please start coming back to the stumps, Kuldeep,” he added.

Kuldeep Yadav finished the tournament with seven wickets in five matches at an economy rate of 4.79. He was India’s second-highest wicket-taker after Varun Chakaravarthy and Mohammed Shami.

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