I think Kuldeep Yadav should stop taking Man of the Match awards to not get dropped: Harbhajan Singh
New Delhi, Dec 22: Kuldeep Yadav's shocking exclusion from the Indian team for the second Test against Bangladesh after his last match heroics has made Harbhajan Singh wonder if the left-arm wrist spinner "would be better off" if he is not winning 'player of the match' awards.
Kuldeep, who made a return to Test cricket after 22 months, took a match haul of eight wickets including a career-best 5/40 and scored 40 crucial runs only to be dropped for the ongoing second game in Mirpur to accommodate Saurashtra seamer Jaydev Unadkat in the playing eleven.
Harbhajan, one of India's greatest spinners, was completely baffled by the call to drop Kuldeep.
"I think from now on, Kuldeep should stop taking five-wicket hauls. Who knows that he might just get to play two Test matches in a row!" a sarcastic Harbhajan told PTI when his reaction was sought.
"Like last time when he got a five-for, before Chattogram Test, was against Australia in Sydney (5/99) in different conditions. He was supposed to be India's No. 1 spinner in overseas conditions but he had to wait for more than two years to play a Test.
"Now he played after nearly two years again and has been dropped again. Would love to know the rationale," said Harbhajan, one of the four Indian bowlers to have taken 400-plus wickets.
While Umesh Yadav and comeback man Unadkat got six wickets between them, the pitch wasn't a seamer's paradise. R Ashwin also got four wickets. The pitch was offering assistance to spinners as Bangladesh skipper Shkib Al Hasan got a few to turn square.
The 'Turbanator' also felt that "security" has just become a word in Indian cricket and no one is walking the talk.
"I don't want to name any player but some of the players in the Test set-up got a long rope, up to five years. In case of Kuldeep, it seems that the duration of his security is five days.
"How does one feel safe if he gets dropped after taking eight wickets. Can he play fearless cricket when all that the team management has done is to instil fear in him?" questioned Harbhajan.
Harbhajan said while he would agree that Bangladesh aren't the most formidable side in Test format but a performer being benched is likely to send a wrong message among youngsters.
"You can never perform if there is a sword hanging over your head. I only hope that Kuldeep doesn't lose confidence because of this as he is someone who should be serving India for another good 8-10 years," he added.
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Andhra CM promises housing for all poor by 2029
Amaravati (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said his government will ensure housing for all the poor before 2029 and allocate housing plots for those who do not own land.
Addressing the Assembly, the Chief Minister urged eligible beneficiaries who have not received a house to apply, assuring that both the central and state governments would take the responsibility for providing housing to all.
“We will not only build houses for all the poor before 2029 but also provide housing plots to landless people,” said Naidu, adding that the government intends to build houses for all the poor.
Noting that the state government aims to allot housing plots to all before 2029, Naidu said it will build apartments if housing plots were not available.
Ahead of Ugadi festival in 2026, the CM said the government will organise three lakh house warming ceremonies under welfare housing, vowing to organise 10 lakh such events within 2026.
On agriculture, Naidu said the southern state accounts for 10 percent of agricultural production at the national level.
He outlined a five-pronged approach of water security, demand-driven crops, food processing, marketing and government support to develop agriculture.
In fiscal 2025 – 26, the CM said Rs 13,772 crore has been earmarked for free power to agriculture, and a financial aid of Rs 20,000 per annum is being given to farmers under Annadata Sukhibava welfare scheme.
According to him, only Rs 7,500 was given to farmers during the previous YSRCP regime. He highlighted that the TDP-led NDA government is offering more than double that amount.
The TDP supremo also announced plans to expand AI agronomist and farm mechanisation services on a large-scale.
Noting that Rs 14,230 crore investments have flowed into the food processing sector, Naidu said the government is concentrating on this front.
Observing that 15 lakh acres are under natural farming in 8,168 villages, he said the target is to expand it to 50 lakh acres.
Besides setting up a large cocoa city near Eluru, he said the government will provide power at Rs 1.5 per unit to aquaculture, among other initiatives.
Assuring continued support, Naidu said his government would stand by farmers in all circumstances and also extend assistance to tenant farmers.
Meanwhile, Irrigation Minister N Rama Naidu informed the House that water would be supplied up to Anakapalli by June 2026 through Polavaram left main canal.
He also said that the government has allocated Rs 600 crore in FY27 budget for Sujala Sravanti project in North Andhra.
The House was later adjourned till Wednesday, March 4.
