India bowler Kuldeep Yadav, known widely as a big football fan and former England player Kevin Pietersen had a playful exchange after the India team met the Manchester United team recently at a sponsor event. Kuldeep, an avid Barcelona supporter, shared a conversation with United manager Ruben Amorim and asked him about his 3-4-3 tactics.
“I was looking forward to talking to Ruben Amorim. I have followed him since Sporting (Lisbon). I asked him a bit about tactic, whether he would stick to 3-4-3 this season and a chance to chat with Casemiro about how I admire him as a player,” Kuldeep said in a video on BCCI.tv.
He also posted a photo with the Portuguese coach with the caption “Sharing football knowledge with the man who’s redefining the game.”
very very very poor football team
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) July 20, 2025
It was under this post, Pietersen, a huge Chelsea fan, replied with “very very very poor football team” to which Kuldeep replied with “Very very good human being just like you.”
Yadav, meanwhile, is still waiting to get his first game in the ongoing tour of England with the 4th Test at Old Trafford set to start on Wednesday where he might get a look in. The left-arm wrist spinner was in contention for the second Test before India chose the all-round utility of Washington Sundar after the capitulations in Leeds. He did not disappoint in the second innings at Lord’s, though his contributions with the bat were negligible.
Should Kuldeep return, it would be a rare instance when India had employed three spinners in England post the quartet era. Since 2000 in England, India have packed their side with two spinners only seven times in 31 games, despite possessing a stellar cast of Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja at various time.
Even former England captain and pundit Mike Atherton backed Yadav to get a place in India’s playing XI at Old Trafford.
“If Kuldeep is going to play Old Trafford is the place. I was wondering if they could go with Bumrah and Siraj and play their three spinners in Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep,” Atherton had said.
