Regarded as one of the premier players of his generation, Ravichandran Ashwin has carved a niche for himself in Test cricket with his exceptional wicket-taking prowess. However, opinions about Ashwin’s suitability for white-ball cricket vary. Despite his somewhat inconsistent performance in ODIs and T20Is, Ashwin has been a part of several World Cups in both formats. Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, when questioned about Ashwin’s white-ball career, promptly expressed the view that the seasoned spinner “doesn’t deserve” a spot in India’s T20I and ODI squads.
Speaking with the Times of India, Yuvraj emphasized Ashwin’s proficiency as a red-ball cricketer but cast doubts on his suitability for limited-overs formats, considering the specific demands these formats place on a player. According to Yuvraj, while Ashwin excels as a bowler, his contributions with the bat and in the field are lacking in white-ball cricket.
“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,” remarked Yuvraj.
Both Yuvraj and Ashwin were integral parts of the Indian team that clinched the ODI World Cup in 2011. Ashwin has consistently praised Yuvraj’s significant contributions to Indian cricket, particularly acknowledging the challenges Yuvraj faced during his health crisis.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Ashwin recounted his shock upon learning about Yuvraj’s battle with cancer. He described how Yuvraj’s persistent coughing, initially dismissed as game-related stress, turned out to be a sign of a serious illness.
“When it broke out (the news of Yuvraj having cancer), I was shocked because I did not expect somebody who had just become Player of the series, in fact, like I would say, ‘Bharat ka Icon.’ That literally was it. I think Sachin Tendulkar played an unbelievably big role in that Yuvraj Singh’s World Cup. I call it the Yuvraj Singh’s World Cup because you name it, he was there in that situation in the center,” added Ashwin.
