“What I Don’t Understand…”: Ex-India Great “Bit Uncomfortable” With Champions Trophy Squad

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has raised questions over the India squad picked by the selection committee for the upcoming Champions Trophy. The ICC mega event is set to take place between February 19 and March 9, with Pakistan and Dubai being the hosts. India’s matches in the tournament will take place in United Arab Emirates after the team decided not to travel to Pakistan. India had picked a provisional squad for the Champions Trophy ahead of their ODI series against England. It is during the contests when they finalized their players.

The updated India squad includes as many five spinners in Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. Jasprit Bumrah was named in the provisional squad but his unavailaibility due to injury saw Harshit Rana being named as replacement. Meanwhile, India dropped Yashasvi Jaiswal to rope in Chakravarthy in the final squad, making it a spin-heavy team.

Ashwin raised doubts over India’s call of picking so many spinners in the team.

“What I don’t understand is the number of spinners we are taking to Dubai. 5 spinners and we have made Yashasvi Jaiswal sit out. Yeah I understand that we take 3 or 4 spinners for a tour. But 5 spinners in Dubai? I don’t know,” said Ashwin in a video on his YouTube channel, as quoted by India Today.

“I think we are one spinner too many if not 2. The 2 left-arm spinners are your best all-rounders alongside Hardik Pandya. So both Axar and Jadeja are going to play. Hardik will also play and Kuldeep will play. If you want Varun Chakravarthy in the team, then you will have to make a pacer sit out and use Hardik as your second pacer. Else you will have to drop a spinner to bring in a 3rd seamer,” he added.

Talking further deep about India’s playing combination, Ashwin expressed his dissatisfaction over the squad picked for the mega event. He also backed Kuldeep to comfortably make it to the playing XI.

“I don’t think there is any doubt that Kuldeep Yadav will walk into the team. So how will you make space for Varun. Is he bowling well? Of course. Either you bring in Varun and Kuldeep as a duo, which I feel would be good. But my question is, in Dubai, are you expecting the ball to turn? I feel a bit uncomfortable with the team,” said Ashwin.