Yuvraj-Singh-and-Ravi-Ashwin. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Star India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is touted as one of the greatest spinners to play Test cricket as he has 490 wickets to his name from 95 matches. However, same hasn’t been the case in the limited overs format as he hasn’t been able to seal his spot in the side facing tough competition from Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel and others.
The 37-year-old last featured in the ODI World Cup 2023 and played just one game in the tournament against Australia where he scalped one wicket giving away 34 runs from ten overs. Recently, former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh commented on Ashwin’s white ball career and said that he doesn’t deserve a place in ODIs and T20Is due to his low returns with the bat and poor fielding.
“Ashwin is a great bowler but I don’t think he deserves a place in ODIs and T20s. He is very good with the ball, but what does he bring with the bat? Or as a fielder? In the Test team, yes, he should be there. But in white-ball cricket, I don’t think he deserves a place,” Yuvraj Singh was quoted as saying by Times of India.
Notably, Ashwin has played 116 ODIs and 65 T20Is in his career so far and has been a part of the last three World Cups. He was a regular mainstay in the limited-overS side until India’s loss in the Champions Trophy 2017 final against Pakistan paved the way for the inclusion spin twins of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.
Ashwin made a comeback to T20I side in World Cup 2021
He further made a comeback to the T20I side after four years and straightaway got selected for the T20 World Cup 2021. The Chennai-born cricketer was also selected in the squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup as well and played the entire tournament ahead of wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal picking six wickets from six matches.
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Ashwin also made a comeback to the ODI side after five years in January 2022 and played two matches against South Africa. He further another comeback just ahead of the World Cup 2023 after 20 months and replaced the injured Axar Patel at the last moment.
The 37-year-old has 156 wickets from 116 ODIs at an average of 33.20 and 72 wickets from 65 T20Is at an average of 23.22.
