When the first contingent of Indian players and support staff left for the United States in the fourth week of May, they would have expected Kuldeep Yadav to play a big part in their T20 World Cup campaign. But such were the turn of events in New York that the man earmarked to do the damage in the middle overs yet to take the field, his only bowl since departing India coming in the warm-up match against Bangladesh on June 1.

Spinners not needed at Nassau

The drop-in pitches at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium were so pacer-friendly that India fielded all four of them in all three matches at that venue. Also mindful of the need to stack their batting, they plumped for left-arm-spinning all-rounders Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja. Kuldeep’s left-arm wrist-spin, therefore, became surplus to requirement.