Ravichandran Ashwin a good defensive option in T20Is, can't expect too many wickets, says Aakash Chopra

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra opened up on Ravichandran Ashwin’s surprise inclusion in India’s squad for 2022 Asia Cup, which will be a major tournament for the Men in Blue in the build-up to the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played later this year.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on 8 June, announced a 15-member squad for the Asia Cup and while there were some expected names, there were some surprise inclusions.

What raised many eyebrows was Ashwin getting picked over Kuldeep Yadav, and while Chopra believes that Ashwin will execute a defensive role perfectly, he won’t pick enough wickets.

“Ravichandran Ashwin – he was suddenly an out-of-the-box selection at the last World Cup as well. Here also just before the World Cup he went to the West Indies and is now in the Asia Cup squad, will play the World Cup again, that’s what it seems. I think it’s not about who is good or who is bad but the point is what sort of a spinner you need,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

Chopra also pointed out Ashwin’s role in the starting eleven. He stated that fans can’t expect a wicket-taking role from him but he will do wonders with defensive economical spells. “If you are giving him a defensive role, he will do it to perfection. But if you are expecting wickets from him, be prepared that it might not happen. What role you define for him, that is very important for me,” he concluded.

Notably, Ashwin, who was part of the T20 World Cup 2021, made a return to the T20I format after eight months and since then, he has picked three wickets in as many games.​

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