India's decision to bench left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the opening ODI against England at Edgbaston has triggered plenty of debate.

By bringing in spin bowling all-rounders Washington Sundar and Axar Patel alongside three frontline pacers, the visitors secured their batting depth. However, this strategic shift invited scrutiny from experts and former cricketers who worry that the team management is filtering out its most potent wicket-taking option in the middle overs.

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also questioned the team management's handling of Kuldeep and urged them to give the latter more opportunities leading up to the 2027 ODI World Cup.

“In this Indian team, I will say this again. Both finger-spinning all-rounders will not fit into the combination for the 2027 World Cup. Whenever Kuldeep's place is made, and Harshit Rana is fit and firing, Harshit Rana becomes the third seamer.

“Then it opens up a slot for Kuldeep. Kuldeep should get more backing. In that World Cup, Kuldeep Yadav's bowling was very important. He is a match-winning spinner. He can bowl in any phase. He has a good record in South Africa,” said Ashwin while speaking on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin wants Kuldeep to be given a long run of matches to cement his mindset and rhythm well ahead of the quadrennial event in South Africa.

“This management hasn't backed Kuldeep enough. They should back him more because he is a match-winner.

“If he has to get into the 2027 World Cup with the right mindset, they should keep giving him chances. He should be given a lot more confidence. I would love for India to play Kuldeep Yadav as the frontline spinner,” he remarked.

Ashwin also discussed optimizing the all-rounder slots, preferring Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy over relying on Shivam Dube as a primary option.

“If Shivam Dube is a serious contender for the 2027 ODI World Cup, I think we are in a little bit of a spot of bother. My first-choice all-rounder will always be Hardik. Second choice, Nitish Kumar Reddy.

“Whatever Shivam Dube did, I liked it. If Hardik is injured and Nitish is injured, then India should go to Shivam Dube. I liked the way they utilised him. He bowled six overs, which I really liked. He has bowled reasonably well. But he should be the last-choice all-rounder for ODI cricket,” he added.

Ashwin was effusive in praise of Shubman Gill's recent batting exploits and captaincy credentials, as the Indian skipper top-scored with 80 before retiring hurt due to cramps and had his bowling changes mostly spot-on.

“A player's confidence comes from where? He makes runs and finds himself in good places. And how does he bat? He has been batting phenomenally well. In the IPL as well. In the T20 squad, he hasn't found a place yet.

“I will not be tempted. Forget all that. But the way he is batting in T20, and the way he has captained the Gujarat Titans, and the way he has captained the Test team, I am really positive and hopeful of an authoritative captain in the 50-over format. The way he has captained and batted, I am very hopeful. Because India needs authority in the next generation of captains.

“Shubman Gill's batting has a lot of quality. He will handle it somehow. He has got a great journey ahead of him. There is no need to talk about overseas conditions in a white-ball format because Shubman Gill is not a spring chicken. He has played a lot of international cricket. He has been on tours of Australia, South Africa and England. He did great batting in the Test series,” he explained.

Ashwin also commended young fast bowler Gurnoor Brar, identifying him as a highly exciting prospect across all cricket formats if managed correctly.

“He is very impressive. He is a tall bowler. He has air speed. He will be expensive. This is his first tour, but he has raw material.

“He can be a real champion bowler for India. Not only in this format. He can bowl red-ball cricket. Highly impressive. Great future ahead. I hope we can look after him very well without injuries because he can serve Indian cricket for a long time,” Ashwin concluded.

Having won the first ODI by six wickets, India claimed a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The second will be played in Cardiff on Thursday (July 16).

(With IANS Inputs)