Ravichandran Ashwin has called for greater clarity on Washington Sundar’s role, urging the Indian team management to treat him as a frontline bowler who can also contribute with the bat — not the other way around. According to Ashwin, Sundar will “keep searching for who he is” until the team firmly backs him in the role he is naturally equipped for.
Sundar was thrust into a demanding No. 5 position during the first ODI against South Africa, where he managed 13 off 19 balls. In the second match, he dropped to No. 6 but could score only a single run. With the ball, he bowled just seven overs across two games without picking up a wicket, further highlighting India’s tactical confusion about his primary role in the XI.
These decisions suggest the management currently sees Sundar more as a middle-order batter who can roll his arm over — a view Ashwin strongly disagrees with.
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“Once you pick Washington Sundar, you must treat him as a bowler who can bat,” Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel after India’s four-wicket defeat in the second ODI. “You must bowl out his overs. Only then will he have the mindset of a bowler who can contribute with the bat. If he is made to bat more and bowl a few overs, he’ll keep searching for his identity. Don’t leave him in that searching space — give him proper role clarity.”
Ashwin also questioned the selection call that kept Nitish Kumar Reddy out of the XI. With Hardik Pandya missing the series due to injury, Ashwin felt Reddy — a powerful hitter and seam-bowling all-rounder — would have been a more suitable replacement, especially given India’s finishing struggles.
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“India didn’t finish well in both ODIs,” Ravichandran Ashwin pointed out. “When someone like Hardik isn’t available, why wasn’t Nitish Kumar Reddy considered? I’m not sure if the team sees Rishabh Pant as a finisher. Without that finishing punch, shouldn’t a fast-bowling all-rounder be preferred over a spinning all-rounder?”
With the series locked at 1-1, all eyes now turn to the decisive third ODI in Vizag on Saturday, where India will hope for clearer roles — and sharper execution.
