Of the 15-member squad reported by the BCCI choice board for the ICC T20 World Cup, the spectators, specialists, and fanatics of the game were astounded to see the name of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the rundown. Astonished on the grounds that he last played a T20I game in 2017 and from that point forward, he was generally seen playing Test cricket. Despite the fact that he didn't play for the public group in the white-ball designs, he actually was a critical part for his state side Tamil Nadu in the restricted overs arrangement.
During this time, he was likewise a normal part playing IPL for Delhi Capitals. Considering every one of these elements and the plenty of involvement he brings to the table, the BCCI selectors named him in the 15-part crew for the worldwide occasion. India captain Virat Kohli talked about Ashwin's call-up in T20Is and said he was compensated for further developing his abilities in the white-ball game.
-Ashwin has been rewarded for reviving his white-ball skills altogether. He bowls with a lot of courage in white-ball cricket,- Kohli said during a media interaction organized by the ICC. Virat Kohli further opined that Ashwin has improved as a bowler by bringing in more control and variations, which could come in handy during the slow and low UAE conditions.
-If you saw the IPL in the last couple of years, he-s bowled difficult overs, he-s bowled against the top players in the IPL, and not being shy to put the ball in the right areas. Spinners can get intimidated by the way power hitters hit the ball, but Ashwin believed in his skill set.
-We felt like the way he was bowling and his variations now and his control over pace is something which is- again a lot of experience, a guy who has played a lot of international cricket and he-s at his confident best. These guys can go in there and change the game with their spells,- Kohli added.
Interestingly, Ashwin went out of favor in the limited-overs format because the management preferred wrist spinners like Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav in the team. But now the tables have turned and finger spinners like Ashwin and Jadeja are back in demand. Kohli believes it is because these bowlers bring in a lot more accuracy in the middle overs. The India skipper also said Ashwin and Jadeja are also consistent performers.
-Wrist spinners were the ones in demand, mostly through that middle period, but now the finger spinners with that accuracy have come back into the game again, so we also have to evolve as a team with the evolving trend of the game. With Ash and the likes of Ravindra Jadeja as well, performing beautifully. These guys can be very consistent,- Kohli concluded.