The suspense around ace spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s participation ended as the coin toss took place ahead of the opening T20I between India and Australia in Canberra on Wednesday, October 29. Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that the veteran left-arm spinner is part of the playing XI for the series opener.

Kuldeep has been in red-hot form across formats, especially in T20Is, where he picked up a tournament-leading 17 wickets in seven outings during India’s recent Asia Cup 2025 triumph. “Big headache, good headache to have. Guys missing out are Rinku, Washi, Jitesh, Arshdeep, and Nitish,” said the skipper.

Boasting an excellent overall T20I record, Kuldeep has taken 86 wickets in 47 matches at an impressive average of 13.12 and an economy rate of 6.70, including two five-wicket hauls. The 30-year-old played a vital role in India’s T20 World Cup triumph last year and has been instrumental in their dominant run since then.

Ahead of the five-match T20I series, Kuldeep featured only in the final ODI of India’s 1-2 series defeat to Australia. He finished with figures of 1/50 in 10 overs as India avoided a series whitewash with a nine-wicket win.

In the first T20I, Australian skipper Mitchell Marsh won the toss and elected to field first.

**When Did Kuldeep Yadav Last Play a T20I in Australia?**

Kuldeep Yadav last played a T20I in Australia at the end of the 2018 season. In the three-match series that ended in a 1-1 tie, the wily spinner participated in all three games. He picked up four wickets across the matches at an outstanding average of 16.50 and an economy rate of 5.50. In his last outing in Australia, held in Sydney, he finished with miserly figures of 1/19 in four overs.

Since the 2018/19 series, the Men in Blue have played only one bilateral T20I series in Australia—in 2020. However, Kuldeep did not participate in that series, which India won 2-1 in the three-match affair.

The champion spinner also boasts excellent T20I numbers overall against the Aussies, having taken eight wickets at an average of 19 and an economy of 6.33 in six games.
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