Ravichandran Ashwin was India’s main off-spin bowler in the T20 World Cup 2022. Despite having so much experience, Ashwin could not impress much when playing against the big teams in the mega event. He picked only one wicket in total three matches against Pakistan, England and South Africa. Also, he could not keep a check on the run-flow.
The Indian selectors have not picked Ravichandran Ashwin in the squad for the upcoming T20I series against the New Zealand cricket team. It seems to be an indication that Ashwin may never feature in T20Is again. Here are three players who can take his place in the team.
1. Washington Sundar can replace Ravichandran Ashwin
Off-spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar will be a like-for-like replacement of R Ashwin. Sundar bowls off-spin and can bat as well. He has done well in T20Is and was India’s highest-ranked bowler at one time. Due to injury issues, he has not been able to play regularly. It will be interesting to see if he can stay injury-free for a long time and become a match-winner for the country.
2. Rahul Chahar can replace Ravichandran Ashwin
Team India may look to play attacking cricket in the build-up to the next T20 World Cup. A leg-spinner like Rahul Chahar could emerge as a match-winner for the team if groomed well. Chahar has been a wicket-taker for Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians in IPL.
3. Krishnappa Gowtham
An unpopular but fantastic option for this role could be Krishnappa Gowtham. He is an off-spin bowling all-rounder just like Ashwin. On top of that, he is a big hitter who has the ability to win matches single-handedly if he gets going.
He has been unlucky when it comes to getting opportunities in the IPL, but if the selectors back Gowtham and give him consistent chances, he can become one of the most dangerous players in international cricket.
