Ravichandran Ashwin won’t be included in India’s starting lineup when they play Bangladesh in the 2023 World Cup, according to Aakash Chopra.
On October 19, the two subcontinental teams will square off in Pune. Shardul Thakur replaced Ashwin in the Men in Blue XI for their final two matches against Afghanistan and Pakistan, respectively. Ashwin was a member of the team for their tournament opener against Australia.
In a video posted to his YouTube account, Chopra expressed his opinion that it is doubtful that India will alter their starting lineup. He stated:
“Will India make a change? I don’t think they will make a change because according to me there is no chance at all to play an extra spinner here. Why would you play Ravichandran Ashwin here?”
Aakash Chopra
The former India opener thinks Ashwin won’t be used in Pune as a backup spinner. He concluded:
“The spinners don’t work here in the IPL and this is a World Cup match. Why would you play another spinner against a subcontinental team? So there won’t be any change in my opinion.”
Aakash Chopra
In his two encounters, Shardul has only bowled eight overs and taken just one wicket. If Rohit Sharma and company want a more dependable bowler for the middle overs, they may think about replacing him by bringing in Ashwin at his expense.
Aakash Chopra on Why India Won’t Replace Thakur with Shami
Mohammed Shami is not anticipated to replace Shardul Thakur in the starting XI, according to Aakash Chopra. He clarified:
“You can repeatedly discuss the scope for one change, whether Shami can play in place of Shardul, but that is also not going to happen, because India won’t do that. India need a batter at No. 8. It doesn’t matter whether you or I like it or not.”
Aakash Chopra
The former cricketer, who is now a commentator, noted that Bangladesh has had the upper hand over India since the last World Cup. However, he did mention that they haven’t had many encounters. He observed:
“Bangladesh have won three of the last four matches between the two sides, but only four matches in the four years between 2019 and 2023. We talk about giving chances to associate nations but we are not giving them to a full Test nation. We don’t play much against our neighbor.”
Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra emphasized that it is simpler to chase in Pune and pushed the team winning the toss to bowl first. He finished by projecting that India will keep dominating the competition.