Kuldeep Yadav Joins Yorkshire for County Championship and One-Day Cup

India left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav is set to begin his maiden county cricket stint after signing with Yorkshire for the remainder of the English domestic season.

Kuldeep will represent the county in five One-Day Cup matches between July 24 and August 2 before returning in September for Yorkshire's final three County Championship fixtures. His two-part spell will be separated by India's scheduled two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in August, where he is expected to be part of the national squad.

The 30-year-old recently endured a frustrating white-ball tour of Ireland and England, where he did not feature in any of India's 10 limited-overs matches. His omission, even after the injury to spin all-rounder Washington Sundar, surprised many observers.

Expressing his excitement about the opportunity, Kuldeep said he is eager to test himself in English conditions.

"I've always enjoyed the challenge of playing in English conditions and, after speaking with the management, I became really excited to join the team. I'm looking forward to making a positive contribution during my time at Headingley," he said.

Despite touring England on three previous occasions, Kuldeep has played only one Test in the country—the Lord's Test in 2018—where he bowled just nine overs. He most recently featured in India's one-off Test against Afghanistan in June.

Kuldeep has established himself as one of India's premier spin bowlers across formats. In Test cricket, he has taken 79 wickets in 18 matches at an impressive average of 22.35. His ODI record is equally outstanding, with 194 wickets in 121 matches, including a career-best 6 for 25. He has also been part of India's two T20 World Cup-winning squads.

Yorkshire General Manager Gavin Hamilton welcomed Kuldeep's arrival, highlighting the value his experience and skill will bring to the side.

"Kuldeep is an accomplished international-quality player who will add incredible strength to our lineup. Given the dry summer we've experienced, we expect spin to play an important role during the closing stages of the season. His left-arm wrist-spin gives us another dimension and brings a wealth of experience at the highest level," Hamilton said.

Kuldeep becomes the second active Indian spinner to feature in the County Championship this season after Manav Suthar, who is currently representing Warwickshire.

When he makes his Yorkshire debut against Glamorgan on July 24, Kuldeep will also become the fifth Indian cricketer to represent the county, following Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Mayank Agarwal. Ruturaj Gaikwad had signed for Yorkshire in 2025 but was forced to withdraw before the season for personal reasons.

Kuldeep's stint with Yorkshire is expected to provide valuable red-ball match practice ahead of India's busy international calendar and further strengthen his preparations for future overseas assignments.