Whether Team India missed a trick by picking R Ashwin as a replacement for Akshar Patel for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, only time will tell, but the 2011 World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh wasn’t happy with India’s last-minute change to their ODI World Cup 15-member squad.
The legendary all-rounder believes that the hosts India had a great chance to include a left-hander in their CWC 2023 squad, but they missed it by selecting the veteran off-spinner R Ashwin in the team.
Notably, the Indian selectors named Ashwin as Akshar’s replacement after the all-rounder failed to recover from a quadriceps strain that he sustained during the Super Four game against Bangladesh in the Asian Cup 2023 in Sri Lanka. Ashwin is now the only off-spinner in the team for the CWC 2023.
Well, reacting to the move, Yuvraj said that India should have picked all-rounder Washington Sundar instead of Ashwin, as he is not only an off-spinner but also a left-handed batter, something hosts would require most in the upcoming showpiece event.
India’s 2023 ODI World Cup squad has left-handed batting options in Ishan Kishan and Ravindra Jadeja, but only the all-rounder is assured of a place in the playing XI, and that’s why Yuvraj feels the captain Rohit and the national selectors should have picked Sundar over Ashwin.
Yuvraj Singh told Hindustan Times Digital: “With Axar not there we have to wait and see who will bat at No. 7. I was thinking if Washington Sundar would have played in place of Axar then India would have had another left-hander. But unfortunately, he did not get picked and so did Yuzvendra Chahal. But otherwise, I feel the combination is fine.”
He signed off by speaking on the number four debate. “So, whoever between KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer bats at No. 4, I don’t think India should chop and change anymore because both are coming back from an injury and both need game time.”
(With HT Inputs)
