Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is not a fan of packing the team with all-rounders. The current coach, Gautam Gambhir, prefers to have players who can wield the willow as well as roll their arm over. In recent times, the likes of Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dubeyand Suryansh Shedge have been tried in the role.
One of the key reasons behind this is that the team management is looking at replacements for Hardik Pandyawho has been out since the IPL 2026 ended. The 32-year-old, as per the selectors, will be picked only for ODI games with the 2027 World Cup in mind. Pandya’s last ODI for India was the Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand.
Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Ashwin said, “If Hardik is not there, it is Nitish or Dube. There is no point in speaking about injured players in your combination.” This is the biggest difference between Gambhir and Rahul Dravid.
“Take the 2023 World Cup for example. The team combination fizzled out a bit because Pandya wasn’t there. The team management didn’t go looking for a sixth bowler and made use of whatever was there and went in with five bowlers.”
The Indian all-rounder was ruled out of the tournament after getting injured in the league game against Bangladesh in Pune.
Ashwin recalls role played by coaching staff after key member’s exit
The 39-year-old then added, “The management made sure that the rest of the players had clarity and were stable after the injury to Hardik and got to the final with the same mentality. Players and team atmosphere is what wins you the World Cup.”
Former Chennai Super Kings star spoke about the current management. “The bits and pieces players have been a fascination for this current setup. That’s the main reason why they have struggled in Test cricket, as it needs specialists for the job. They need match-winners with the bat and ball, which the current management needs to remember.”
Finally, Ashwin added, “One thing that’s missing is the clarity. The management has to go to their top 17 or 18 picks and tell them they are going to be picked and will play the next 14 months. Rotate the players with the thought of picking the best playing XI.”
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