Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has questioned the Indian team management’s continued reliance on “bits-and-pieces” all-rounders as replacements for Hardik Pandya, urging selectors to prioritize specialists and establish a clear roadmap for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Hardik has remained a vital figure in India’s white-ball setup, but injuries and workload management have limited his appearances over the past two years.

The star all-rounder last featured in an ODI during India’s victorious 2025 Champions Trophy final and played his most recent T20I in the ICC T20 World Cup earlier this year. His absence from the recent white-ball tour of England forced the team management to explore alternatives, with Shivam Dube featuring in the ODI squad and Suryansh Shedge earning opportunities in the T20I side.

Speaking on ESPN Cricinfo, Ravichandran Ashwin compared the current team’s approach under head coach Gautam Gambhir with Rahul Dravid’s strategy during the 2023 ODI World Cup. He pointed out that India adapted successfully after Hardik’s injury in that tournament by trusting a five-bowler combination instead of searching for a like-for-like replacement. “If Hardik is not there, it’s Nitish Kumar Reddy and then Shivam Dube. There is no point in harping about players that are not ready to play in your combination. If they are injured, they are injured. That’s par for the course in any sport,” Ashwin said.

WATCH – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Reveals Story Behind Celebration Inspired By Rinku Singh

Reflecting on the 2023 World Cup campaign, he praised the stability shown by the previous team management despite losing one of their most important all-rounders. “Look at the 2023 World Cup, which just fizzled out because Hardik wasn’t part of the combination. But the moment it fizzled out, they were not searching and they did not try to play the sixth bowler. They skinned the cat differently and went with five bowlers.”

Ashwin believes the current management has become overly focused on finding multidimensional cricketers rather than backing proven match-winners in specialist roles.

“They ensured the rest of the squad did not have a lack of clarity and were very stable even after Hardik’s injury. They got to the final doing that. The players and the ethos in the dressing room is what will win you the World Cup. This bits and pieces has been a fascination for this management. That’s probably why we have struggled in Tests as Tests are firmly for the specialists. It’s match-winners with the ball and bat that this management needs to keep at the top of their mind,” he added.

Looking ahead to the 2027 ODI World Cup, Ravichandran Ashwin also called for greater clarity in India’s selection strategy. With less than 18 months remaining before the tournament, he believes the management should identify a core group of players instead of continuing to experiment extensively.

ALSO READ: Aakash Chopra Criticises India XI For Lacking A Sixth Bowling Option

“There needs to be clarity before any discussions about personnel. Go to 17 or 18 players and tell them that we are going to pick the squad from that pool and they play the next 14 months, whoever that be,” Ravichandran Ashwin said. “It has to have two keepers, three spinners and five pacers. Rotate the players in this pool with the vision of putting the best XI on the first day of the World Cup. As of now, it’s lacking a lot of clarity.”

The 2027 ODI World Cup is expected to be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, making the coming months crucial as India look to build a settled squad capable of defending their global dominance in white-ball cricket.