India’s star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is not a part of the squad for the ODI series against West Indies, commencing from July 27. The last ODI that Ashwin played was in January 2021 in a game against South Africa.
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However, despite the 18-month gap, the world's number 1 Test bowler can be expected to be on India’s side in the ODI World Cup 2023. According to a report by InsideSport, a BCCI official said, “Ashwin was never out of the scheme of things. It is up to the selectors who they want to pick for specific formats.”
Similarly, reports by The Indian Express suggest that Ashwin’s name is being discussed for the forthcoming tournament because two names picked for the West Indies series have similar skill sets. The names include left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel and slow bowlers Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal .
Before the ODI World Cup, India have 12 games in hand, which also includes the Asia Cup final. Needless to say, the ODI series against West Indies will give clarity to selectors on names to pick for the WC. After Ashwin’s last ODI game in 2022, the slots were given to names like Patel, Jadeja, Chahal, and Washington Sundar. With Sundar playing in the upcoming Asian Games, he is all set to be ruled out.
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Men in Blue are in dire need of getting their spinner combination right before the marquee event. Another reason that explains why Ashwin could be back in the squad is the WC venues. Grounds of Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Lucknow assist spin, and the Men in Blue will play some of their biggest matches on these grounds. Hence, the inclusion of Ashwin can be a crucial factor in the team's win in these games.
