Ravichandran Ashwin's Experience Could Be Valuable At The World Cup, Says Kiran More

BCCI announced India’s 15-member squad on 5th September and one of the major talking points about the squad was the absence of veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. The Indian team for the World Cup was missing an off-spinner, and the selectors went with Axar Patel given that he has been in good form, especially in home conditions. However, the selectors gave Ashwin a chance for the IND vs AUS ODI series after Axar Patel got injured in the Asia Cup.

The 37-year-old Ravichandran Ashwin has shut down his critics after his performance in the ongoing series. In the second ODI, Ashwin showed his caliber by picking up a figure of 3/41 in seven overs. Ashwin, who last played an ODI in January 2022 was selected for this series after Axar’s injury and now there are even more speculations about his participation in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

Former India cricketer and Chairman of Selectors, Kiran More feels that Ravichandran Ashwin’s experience can be a valuable asset for the team in the World Cup. With Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja already in the squad, More feels that an off-spinner will add the variety that is needed given that there are a lot of left-handed batters playing in the World Cup.

Why Ravichandran Ashwin Instead Of Axar Patel? Reveals Kiran More

“Both Axar and Ashwin are very good but when you look at the batting lineup of other countries, there are so many left-handers. So, it is important to have an off-spinner on the side. I’m not sure how the pitches will play throughout but after the monsoon, I expect the ball to hold a bit. Spinners will play a big role in the first half of the World Cup.”, said More.

Rohit Sharma as a captain has always stressed the importance of a long batting lineup. This can be seen by the fact that Yuzvendra Chahal missed out on the team given that his batting is very weak. With Shardul’s performance being a bit shaky, there is a possibility that India can go with an extra spin-bowling all-rounder.

“Ashwin and Axar can bat and give the team some balance as all-rounders. Either of them can be included in Shardul’s spot. And to be honest, if you can’t score with seven batters, you can’t win a match. So, if there’s a turn-on offer, we might have to go with three spinners.”, said More.

For the time being, Ravichandran Ashwin remains excluded from the World Cup squad but with Axar being injured there are chances that the veteran spinner will replace Axar in the marquee event.