Former India spinner Murali Kartik has backed Kuldeep Yadav for a more consistent place in India's sides across formats, describing him as a match-winner and a handy enough batter despite the team's growing preference for all-rounders who can offer batting depth.

Kartik made the remarks ahead of India's tour of New Zealand, which begins on October 22, 2026. India retained Kuldeep as the only specialist spinner in their Test squad for the series, alongside all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.

Kartik has also expressed confusion over why Kuldeep struggles to secure a regular place in India's playing eleven despite maintaining strong records across all three formats. Kuldeep has taken 194 wickets in 120 ODI matches at an average of 26.82 and 95 wickets in 54 T20I appearances at an average of 13.74.

Why does Kartik see value in out-and-out bowlers despite India's all-rounder approach?

Kartik acknowledged that India's selection thinking around batting depth is understandable, but he stopped short of fully endorsing the all-rounder-heavy approach. He noted that specialist bowlers carry a distinct advantage when a match is under pressure, arguing that a bowler who knows his craft is best placed to hold his nerve and deliver in tight situations, just as a specialist batter is the one a team turns to when runs are needed.

"We have deliberated over this for a long time, and I think that's one of the reasons that they are looking for batters who can bowl, who can offer you that option. Am I a big fan of it, I'm in the middle. I seriously can't make my mind up because at the endf of the day you pick people or you pick the resources that you have. And somehow, if a certain set of people feel that this is the way we want to go about it, sometimes we say in life that 'each to his own', so sometimes maybe this is what they want to do, this is how they want to see their team playing. I do not have an issue with it completely," Kartik responded to CricTracker's query during an interaction arranged by Sony Sports Network.

But I also see the benefits of having out and out match-winners and out-and-out bowlers sometimes because under pressure it's the bowlers who know what they can do. It's just like under pressure it's only a batter that can deliver for you, similarly under pressure it is only a bowler who can hold his nerve and deliver for you," he added.

What specific case did Kartik make for including Kuldeep Yadav more regularly?

Kartik pointed to Axar Patel as an example of a quality bowler who also contributes with the bat, but he was clear that Kuldeep's value to the side goes beyond his batting ability. He argued that Kuldeep's primary worth lies in his capacity to win matches with the ball, and that this quality alone justifies a more regular berth in the eleven.

"But that being said, we have some quality bowlers like Axar Patel who also double up as batters, and I would like to see Kuldeep Yadav more because he might not hit the six and the four, but he is a handy enough bat, and more importantly he is a match-winner. So I see the benfits of it and also understand why they go about the way they go about," Kartik added.

Kartik's comments reflect a broader question around Kuldeep's place in India's plans. Despite his consistent record, the left-arm wrist spinner has found it difficult to hold down a permanent spot of late, a situation Kartik described as puzzling given the bowler's proven ability across formats.