# Kuldeep was unfit, not faked: India batting coach on Test benching

2026-08-23T16:06:50+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 2 independent outlets

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said Kuldeep Yadav was genuinely suffering from viral fever and was not faking illness to miss the second Test against Sri Lanka. Kotak, speaking after day one in Delhi, dismissed as irrelevant any question of whether Kuldeep would have played if fit. "If he is not fit, how will he think if he plays or not?" Kotak said. Kotak's explanation contradicted bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule, who earlier attributed Kuldeep's absence from nets to travel fatigue. NDTV Sports highlighted this discrepancy. With Kuldeep unavailable and Sri Lanka's top order having four left-handers, India handed a debut to offspinner Saransh Jain. India reached 300 for five at close on day one, led by Devdutt Padikkal's 117. Rishabh Pant retired hurt after a blow to the forearm but is expected to resume batting on day two.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

Indian Opinion analysis: The two reports frame Kuldeep Yadav's absence from the second Test differently. The Indian Express leads with the coach's blunt dismissal of a hypothetical question, while NDTV Sports leads with the coach's denial of faking illness. NDTV also contrasts the coach's viral-fever explanation with the bowling coach's fatigue account, creating a small contradiction the Express omits. Both are neutral-wire reporting: neither side exaggerates or editorialises. The measured takeaway is that India's spin selection was tactical, an offspinner against Sri Lanka's left-handers, and Kuldeep was genuinely unavailable. Watch Rishabh Pant's fitness on day two.

## Coverage

Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
- indianexpress.com (neutral report) <https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/kuldeep-yadav-india-sri-lanka-2nd-test-batting-coach-sitanshu-kotak-10846319/>
  Leads with coach's dismissive answer, omits bowling coach's fatigue contradiction
- sports.ndtv.com (neutral report) <https://sports.ndtv.com/sri-lanka-vs-india-2026/no-need-to-fake-illness-india-coach-makes-stunning-remark-on-kuldeep-yadav-11948458>
  Leads with coach denying faking illness, highlights internal contradiction over cause

This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-24T04:46:25+00:00.

Tags: India, Kuldeep Yadav
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