Ravichandran Ashwin has been out of contention for India in the limited-overs squad. He hasn’t played a single One-Day International match since July 2017, but the off-spinner is not heartbroken by this. He feels it’s the perception of wrist spinners being more suitable in modern ODIs which is keeping him at bay.
Ashwin was a part of the Indian squad, which won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in India. He featured in 111 ODIs for India where he grabbed 150 wickets at an average of 32.91.
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Talking about the reason behind his absence from the ODIs, he quoted “I don’t know it is a perception. I am no slouch. In the white ball format, my records are not as bad as what it is perceived to be. It is out of the perception that wrist spinners are required in modern one day cricket that I am sitting out.”
The ace spinner brought his figures of the last ODI match that he played against West Indies to his defense. “The last ODI I played, I got 3 for 28. I would always look back at my career and I would like to believe it’s not due to my efforts that I am sitting out (but) it is due to the supply and demand that the team requires,” he said.
However, Ashwin is pleased with his performance in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he bagged seven wickets in six matches. His economy rate was also good throughout the tournament. Meanwhile, he is preparing for the Indian Premier League 2019, where he will lead Kings XI Punjab.
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“I went and played the Syed Mushtaq Ali (T20 tournament) and I had a decent outing. That’s how I look at it. I am playing cricket and it is not like I need to specialize in one particular format. It is the challenges of the modern day game, I will be looking forward to do whatever I can do best.” Ravi Ashwin concluded.
The IPL 2019 will commence from March 23 in Chennai, where the defending champions will lock horns against arch-rivals Royal Challengers Bangalore. The opening game of Punjab will be against Rajasthan Royals on March 25 in Jaipur.
