Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin could return to India's limited-overs squad for the upcoming tour of Australia, three years after his most recent outing in white-ball cricket for the country.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had informed on Tuesday (October 20) that the selection committee will meet in the coming days to finalise India's touring contingent for the tour comprising three T20Is, three ODIs and four Tests.
A report in the Telegraph stated, "Ashwin’s name did come up during an informal discussion among the powers-that-be following his impressive showing in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League in the UAE."
Playing for Delhi Capitals (DC), the 34-year-old has taken 8 wickets in 8 innings while going at an economy rate of 7.11 in the tournament so far.
"Since a large contingent, comprising players of all three formats, will be departing from the UAE together, it would be prudent to try out Ashwin, at least in the ODIs. He has proven his credentials and I don’t think it’s fair to keep him out," a source close to the matter told The Telegraph.
"He has the experience and will come in handy with his variations on Australian wickets."
Ashwin's reinclusion could also be fast-tracked due to the fact that Kuldeep Yadav, integral to India's success over the past few years along with wrist-spin partner Yuzvendra Chahal, hasn't been in the best of form since the 2019 World Cup.
But overall, not too many surprises are expected in the Tests and the white-ball arena. Despite the performances of some young guns in the IPL 2020, selectors are likely to stick to the existing lot considering the different nature of conditions down under.
“We have a system in place where the youngsters have to come through the A tours. Players like Shivam Mavi, Prasidh Krishna or Sanju Samson will have to follow that process before staking their claim for the senior side," the source said.
Yet, the bio-bubble requirements amid COVID-19 pandemic will push the panel to send a larger squad, which could mean Akshar Patel, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube and Mohammed Siraj & co touring alongside first-choice options.
While Bhuvneshwar Kumar is likely to miss the entire trip due to a hamstring injury, India are desperately awaiting a positive news before the Tests on Ishant Sharma, the leader of the attack, who returned to India from UAE with a rib injury.
In case Ishant's unavailable, extra responsibility will rest on the shoulders of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav and Navdeep Saini.
The report added, "Cricket Australia have been struggling to adhere to the BCCI’s demand for practice facilities while in 14-day quarantine. After the Queensland health officials turned down their request, the New South Wales government is now considering a proposal for the squad to quarantine in Sydney."
"If this comes through, the limited-overs leg will be held there with Sydney hosting four matches and Canberra two."
