Former Indian cricket team spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed surprise over the selection of a “spin-heavy” squad for the Champions Trophy. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said that picking five spinners in the squad is beyond understanding, as it forced the exclusion of key batter Yashasvi Jaiswal.
He added that the team will play its matches in Dubai, and the squad includes Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar. “Will having so many spinners prove effective, or should we have focused on winning matches through our batting?” Ashwin questioned.
The former spinner further analyzed the team combination, saying, “We have two left-arm spinners who are top all-rounders, so Axar Patel and Jadeja will definitely play. In the pace attack, Hardik Pandya will be part of the XI. Now, if you play Varun Chakravarthy as well, you’ll have to drop a pacer from the XI. Otherwise, who will replace Hardik?”
It is worth mentioning that the ICC Champions Trophy will begin on February 19. The opening match will be between Pakistan and New Zealand, while India will face Bangladesh in Dubai the next day.
