T20 World Cup 2021: Graeme Swann Backs Ravichandran Ashwin To Come Good If He's Included For The Match Against New Zealand

Former England off-spinner Graeme Swann reckons Ravichandran Ashwin should be brought into the playing XI for India when they take the field in a must-win game against New Zealand on Sunday in the T20 World Cup.

Both teams have lost their first game, and they desperately need to get a win here to stay alive and keep their fate in their own hands. In such a big game, an experienced player like Ashwin can play a huge role, and he should replace Varun Chakravarthy, believes Swann.

Hardik hasn’t bowled yet in the last few months, and that is a growing concern for the team. However, there is a suitable replacement with Thakur more than capable of making the all-rounder slot his own if necessary.

“He has lots of variations and is a big-time player” – Graeme Swann

Graeme Swann also pointed out that Ashwin’s bag of tricks might come in handy against New Zealand. The Kiwis are generally not the best players of spin, barring skipper Kane Williamson, and if they fail to read Ashwin, he can have a big impact on the game.

“I am very biased towards spin, so I would like to see R Ashwin in. He is a brilliant bowler. Got a lot of variations and is a big-time player. He can really turn up and perform in a must-win game,” Swann added.

Ashwin last played for India in white-ball cricket back in 2017. However, he was brought into the team for the warmup matches against England and Australia, where he was impressive.

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