Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar feels that veteran Indian off-spinner R Ashwin is unlikely to stage a comeback to the Indian limited-overs teams.

Since the emergence of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal in the limited-overs, R Ashwin has been mainly seen as a Test specialist and last played a white-ball game in 2017 against West Indies. 

Playing in IPL the talismanic off-spinner has scalped 138 wickets from 154 matches at an average of 26.81 and is currently an essential part of the Delhi Capitals. 

Even though R Ashwin has done well in the Indian Premier League, the selectors have not shown any interest to bring Ashwin back in the limited-overs format. 

While reflecting on R Ashwin’s comeback in the limited-overs format, former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar said that the combination Team India has with Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya as all-rounders, it is tough for R Ashwin to comeback in the limited-overs format. 

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"I somehow don't think he will now make a comeback in the Indian limited-overs team because India have found in Hardik Pandya the all-rounder at No.7, there is Ravindra Jadeja and then they will have three seamers or maybe one spinner and two-seamers,” Sunil Gavaskar told Starsports. 

Gavaskar further said that R Ashwin will play Test matches for at least half a dozen years. 

"I don't think he will fit into the squad at the moment and therefore, he will be a Test match player for the next half a dozen years at least," he said. 

However, in the recently concluded second Test match between India and England R Ashwin shined for India with his all-around performance taking 8 wickets to go with his 5th Test century, and was adjudged Man of the Match for his heroics.

(Starsports Inputs)