IPL 2021 | Kuldeep Yadav ruled out of IPL with knee injury, may miss most of domestic season

Kuldeep is expected to go through a long rehabilitation process, and will take time to return to competitive cricket. The 26-year-old didn’t play a single game in the ongoing IPL season, with Kolkata Knight Riders persisting with the duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine in their XI.

"Yes, we got the information that Kuldeep sustained a nasty knee injury during a practice session in UAE. Apparently while fielding, he twisted his knee and it was really bad at that point.

"There was no chance that he could have taken any further part and was sent back to India," a senior BCCI official tracking developments of IPL teams told PTI on condition of anonymity.

"Knee injuries are generally bad. It's a very long process from starting to work and then getting strength back through intense physiotherapy sessions at the NCA, followed by light intensity training and finally starting with net sessions.

"It can't be said with certainty that Kuldeep will be match ready by the time Ranji Trophy ends," another IPL source privy to the developments said.

Kuldeep has represented India in seven Tests, 65 ODIs, and 22 T20Is, accounting for 174 wickets overall, and was a part of India’s run to the 2019 World Cup semi-final in England. However, a slump in his form thereafter has made him an irregular feature in the setup.

His last Test appearance, the first in two years, came against England in Chennai during the home series earlier this year, in which he returned with 0/16 and 2/25 from the two innings respectively.

During India’s Sri Lanka tour in July, Kuldeep registered figures of 2/48 and 0/55 in the two ODI’s he played, while in T20Is, he returned with 2/30 and 0/16 (from two overs) respectively.