'Finally' - Twitter elated with Kuldeep Yadav, Ishan Kishan's inclusion in line-up

The Indian team have made four changes to the line-up that sealed the T20I series by winning the fourth T20I against West Indies less than 24 hrs ago for the series finale against the hosts at Central Broward Park on Sunday, 7th of August. Kuldeep Yadav’s much-awaited inclusion is the most notable change as the left-arm wrist spinner finally got a game in the series.

Hardik Pandya, who returns to the playing XI after sitting out the previous game, is leading the side in the absence of Rohit Sharma, who has been rested for the dead rubber. Suryakumar Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Rishabh Pant join the Indian skipper on the sidelines, rounding off the changes.

Kuldeep Yadav has been waiting eagerly on the sidelines after making his return from a hand injury sustained in the aftermath of IPL 2022. The left-arm unorthodox bowler last featured in the T20I team in February earlier this year but has largely been on the periphery after an abject dip in form. He was rewarded by a recall to the white-ball side for the T20I series against South Africa but had to pull out of the series after suffering an injury.

Kuldeep Yadav,  Ishan Kishan feature for the Indian team for the first time in the series

Notably, Kuldeep returned with 21 wickets for his new franchise Delhi Capital in this year’s edition of the IPL and has looked like his old deceptive self. His selection in the playing XI was subject to fitness as he continued his rehab at the NCA in Bangalore, but cleared the fitness test just in time to join the squad in the Caribbean. 

Ishan Kishan is another player who will be playing his first game in the series as India have given a chance to all their players in the squad apart from Harshal Patel, who has been ruled out of the series after suffering a side strain.

India Playing XI: Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya(c), Deepak Hooda, Dinesh Karthik(w), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh

Meanwhile, here’s how Twitter reacted to Kuldeep Yadav and Ishan Kishan’s adddition to the line-up;