Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has urged the team management to give Kuldeep Yadav more chances in the matches leading up to the 2027 ODI World Cup. The 39-year-old said that picking two finger spinners for conditions in South Africa won’t fit into the combination and insisted that the left-arm wrist spinner deserves his chance in the playing XI.
“In this Indian team, I will say this again. Both finger-spinning all-rounders will not fit into the combination for the 2027 World Cup. Whenever Kuldeep’s place is made, and Harshit Rana is fit and firing, Harshit Rana becomes the third seamer. Then it opens up a slot for Kuldeep.”
“Kuldeep should get more backing. In that World Cup, Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling was very important. He is a match-winning spinner. He can bowl in any phase. He has a good record in South Africa,” Ashwin said on ‘Ash Ki Baat’.
“This management hasn’t backed Kuldeep enough. They should back him more because he is a match-winner. If he has to get into the 2027 World Cup with the right mindset, they should keep giving him chances. He should be given a lot more confidence. I would love for India to play Kuldeep Yadav as the frontline spinner,” he added.
Injuries to Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana and Hardik Pandya’s absence have meant that Shivam Dube is now being tested in the seam-bowling all-rounder’s role. Ashwin felt that if Dube became a long-term choice in the role, then India could be in trouble.
“If Shivam Dube is a serious contender for the 2027 ODI World Cup, I think we are in a little bit of a spot of bother. My first-choice all-rounder will always be Hardik. Second choice, Nitish Kumar Reddy. Whatever Shivam Dube did today, I liked it. If Hardik is injured and Nitish is injured, then India should go to Shivam Dube. I liked the way they utilised him. He bowled six overs, which I really liked. He has bowled reasonably well. But he should be the last-choice all-rounder for ODI cricket,” he added.
The 106-Test veteran also praised Shubman Gill for his batting exploits and added that he saw an authoritative captain in the right-hander.
“A player’s confidence comes from where? He makes runs and finds himself in good places. And how does he bat? He has been batting phenomenally well. In the IPL as well. In the T20 squad, he hasn’t found a place yet. I will not be tempted. Forget all that. But the way he is batting in T20, and the way he has captained the Gujarat Titans, and the way he has captained the Test team, I am really positive and hopeful of an authoritative captain in the 50-over format. The way he has captained and batted, I am very hopeful. Because India needs authority in the next generation of captains,” he said.
“Shubman Gill’s batting has a lot of quality. He will handle it somehow. He has got a great journey ahead of him. There is no need to talk about overseas conditions in a white-ball format because Shubman Gill is not a spring chicken. He has played a lot of international cricket. He has been on tours of Australia, South Africa and England. He did great batting in the Test series,” he added.
Ashwin also praised Gurnoor Brar, admitting that he has the potential to be a ‘champion bowler’ for India. “He is very impressive. He is a tall bowler. He has air speed. He will be expensive. This is his first tour. But he has raw material. He can be a real champion bowler for India. Not only in this format. He can bowl red-ball cricket. Highly impressive. Great future ahead. I hope we can look after him very well without injuries because he can serve Indian cricket for a long time,” he said.
