Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar feels that R Ashwin’s experience and canniness will play an important role for India in the middle overs ahead of the World Cup 2023 as well. However, Ashwin has been selected for India’s World Cup squad in 2023 as he came as a last-minute replacement for injured Axar Patel, who sustained a quadriceps tear and failed to get fit on time. Notably, this is going to be Ashwin’s third appearance in the 50-overs World Cup. The previous two were in 2011 and 2015 as well.

Speaking to Star Sports, Gavaskar said that the middle overs is where Ashwin can be a vital cog for India as he is a bowler who can pick up wickets in the middle overs as well.

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“To start with the new ball there is Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami…I don’t know if all three of them will play in the World Cup, but these three are world-class bowlers. We saw Bumrah took a little bit of a hammering in Rajkot against Australia. He is too experienced a bowler to repeat those mistakes,” said Gavaskar.

“But that is not to worry. It is the middle overs which is…we saw what good pitch this was so players can play through the line when the ball is not deviating or turn or bounce. And this is where Ashwin with his experience and his canniness will play as a key factor. I’m not sure if they will play him in the XI for the big matches but he is the kind if bowler who can actually get you wickets in the middle overs, and that doesn’t allow partnerships to build and subsequently, a team can be restricted to a low total,” Sunil Gavaskar concluded.