Kuldeep had travelled with the Indian team for the entire white-ball tour of Australia, which included the three-match ODI series last month. However, despite his credentials in the 50-over format, management could only fit him into the playing XI for the final game in Sydney, where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli played their last international game on Australian soil. He picked up just one wicket in that game.

Unlike the ODIs, he earned a spot in the playing XI for the opening two T20Is. Although the first game was washed out, he took two wickets in the second game in Melbourne. However, he was dropped for the Hobart game to make way for Washington Sundar, who scored an unbeaten 49 to help India level the series 1-1.

Kuldeep has been released from the T20I team as the management wants him to participate in the India A series against South Africa A at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The opening game of the red-ball series, which marked the return of Rishabh Pant to competitive action for the first time in three months, ended on Sunday with the home team scripting a win. The second four-day match will begin on November 6.

The BCCI release stated that the team management made the decision “to provide Kuldeep with red-ball game time in preparation for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa.”

Kuldeep hence will join the likes of several Test regulars who are also part of the India A squad, which includes KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep and Devdutt Padikkal.