It’s been over three years since Umesh Yadav last wore the India jersey. That was the final of the ICC World Test Championship in London and he was one of the players who were dropped after the team’s poor show which ended in a 209 run loss to Australia. Missing out on international cricket for two years can really change a player’s career.
The last time Yadav played, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were the main players in the Test team. Now Rohit and Kohli have retired and Pujara and Rahane are focused on domestic cricket after losing their spots. A lot has changed.
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The Indian team has moved on and now has a young Test captain Shubman Gill for the upcoming series in England. But Yadav, a right-arm fast bowler still has hopes of a comeback. He had surgery earlier this year and is now recovering from a leg injury.
“I am done with the efforts to come back,” Yadav told Sports Tak. “I can’t pick myself; I need to play some matches and get fit. To return I must play competitive cricket. My goal is to get fit and join the team.” Yadav has 170 wickets in 57 Tests, 101 of those at home with an average of 25.88.
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“When I started playing cricket I never thought I would play for India. I have always been a fast bowler, I have done it naturally since I was a kid. I didn’t go to any academies so I never thought I would reach this level. I just kept playing,” he said “People guided me along the way. It’s kind of surreal that the son of a coal miner is here representing India. I believe some things are just meant to be. You can’t just make anyone a fast bowler; it has to come naturally.” At 37, Yadav last played a competitive match in November 2024 which was a T20 for Vidarbha.
