Indian captain Rohit Sharma weighed in on the selection dilemma regarding ace spinner R Ashwin for the T20 World Cup squad. While Ashwin’s name was under consideration, Rohit Sharma revealed that the selectors opted for Axar Patel due to Ashwin’s limited appearances in T20I cricket lately.
The BCCI recently announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Americas, with a notable omission being veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. This surprise exclusion sparked discussions as Ashwin boasts a strong T20 record.
Ravichandran Ashwin, India’s off-spin magician, is a legend in Test cricket, currently the world’s No. 1 bowler with over 500 wickets. However, his T20 career has been a topic of debate. Despite having 72 wickets in 65 matches and contributing to India’s 2022 T20 World Cup run, he’s been absent from the recent T20 squads. Several factors contribute to this decision, the emergence of wrist spinners such as Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, uncertainties regarding his batting and fielding in the fast-paced format, and potentially a strategic adjustment by the selectors.
Logic Behind Four Spinners
India captain Rohit Sharma explained why the team chose to include four spinners in their T20 World Cup squad. Alongside specialist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel were also selected. While some experts questioned the decision, suggesting an extra pace bowler instead, others supported it. India’s pace attack for the T20 World Cup consists of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh, with Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube as pace-bowling all-rounders.
Rohit Sharma didn’t delve deep into the team’s strategy but expressed his desire for four spinners. He hinted at the possibility of spin-friendly conditions during day games, as matches are scheduled in the morning.
Rohit Sharma On Having Four Spinners
“I don’t want to go into too much detail because I am sure opposition captains will listen to this,”
“I wanted more spinners, we know what the conditions are like. Matches start at 10-10.30 in the morning. There’s a technical aspect involved in this.” Rohit Sharma added.
“I wanted four spinners and three seamers and with Hardik being there you get the balance. With two spinners being all-rounders, then two attacking spinners give you balance in the spin department as well. Based on opposition composition we can decide who we want to play with.” the Indian Captain said.
Rohit Sharma also disclosed the rationale behind choosing Axar Patel over R Ashwin, citing Ashwin’s limited appearances in T20I cricket in recent times. Rohit said, “We discussed a lot, unfortunately, Washy [Washington Sundar] hasn’t played a lot lately. It was then between Ash and Axar. Ash hasn’t played the format lately. Axar was in good form when he played those five matches against Australia. He has been bowling well and gives us that left-handed option in the middle [with the bat] if we want to do something different,”
Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar On The Squad
Ahead of the T20 World Cup, standout performances in IPL 2024 earned players like Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, and Yuzvendra Chahal spots in the India squad. However, the unexpected omission of Rinku Singh, who performed remarkably well for India leading up to the event, left cricket fans and experts stunned.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar provided insight into Rinku’s exclusion from the squad, stating that Rinku didn’t fit into the team’s combination.
“It [Rinku Singh’s omission from the first 15] is probably the toughest thing we have had to discuss,” Agarkar said.
“He has done nothing wrong, not even Shubman Gill for that matter. It’s about combinations. There are a couple of wrist spinners included to give Rohit more options. It’s just unfortunate. He’s in the reserves, so that tells you how close he came to being in the 15.
“But at the end of the day you can only pick 15 players in the squad.” Agarkar further added.