“How much cricket has he actually played?” - Robin Uthappa’s blunt statement on Team India star amid IND vs SA 2025 ODIs

Former wicketkeeper-batter Robin Uthappa gave a blunt statement on star Team India spinner Kuldeep Yadav amid the ODI series against South Africa. India won the first game of the three-match series by 17 runs.

Before the ODIs, India suffered an embarrassing 0-2 whitewash in the Test series against the Proteas. Kuldeep Yadav picked up eight wickets across both games, but bowled just 63.1 overs in four innings. Robin Uthappa questioned the number of matches Kuldeep had played in the format since his debut in 2017. He reckoned that bowlers should be given more time to be able to deliver better.

"Washi bowled just 500 overs before he came in as a bowler, compared to Ashwin who bowled 2500 overs before he played Test cricket consistently. Giving the bowlers the time in the middle for them to become more of their own and becoming more result-producing athletes is important. Even with Kuldeep. He has been playing from 2017, but how much cricket has he actually played? Since 2019 to 2023-24, he almost barely played any Test cricket. He was just touring with the side," he said on his YouTube channel.

Notably, Kuldeep played just eight Test matches from 2019 to 2024, as pointed out by Robin Uthappa. He further highlighted that Kuldeep's body was not used to bowling long overs in Test cricket, as he had not played enough in the format. Uthappa suggested the spinner be given more overs and matches over a consistent period of time.

"People say Kuldeep is not that effective in the second innings. It is because he is not used to playing Test cricket. His body is not used to sustaining bowling 40 overs in a Test match. You give him a year doing this, his body gets conditioned to it, you will see him bowl with the same effectiveness. It is about time spending here," he added.

Kuldeep has played only 17 Tests in his career since his debut eight years ago. He has bowled 482.1 overs, which is roughly around 28 overs per Test and 14 to 15 overs per innings on average.

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Robin Uthappa praises Virat Kohli after the first ODI against South Africa

Meanwhile, Robin Uthappa also praised Virat Kohli for having a clear template when it came to batting in ODIs. In the first game against South Africa, Kohli smashed a 120-ball 135 with 11 fours and seven maximums.

Uthappa also added that Kohli not only knew how to pace his innings but also how to build partnerships in the middle.

"His template is so clear. It's cut and dry. He knows how to pace it, and he has added the whole partnership thing into his template, which just makes him seem so much more dangerous," he said.

Notably, Kohli was involved in a crucial 136-run partnership with Rohit Sharma. He was also involved in a vital 76-run stand with KL Rahul. These partnerships helped India post a match-winning total of 349/8 on the board.