Ashwin said India are likely to field just one specialist spinner in their squad, with the choice possibly coming down to Kuldeep Yadav or Varun Chakravarthy. According to Ashwin, playing two spinners in the frontline could upset the overall balance, especially when the side also needs a spin-bowling all-rounder who can contribute with the bat.
“If you play with two spinners, Kuldeep and Varun, then one of them has to be your number eight. So it is difficult to play with two spinners. You can have them in the side. But what about the spin batter you want in Axar, Jadeja or Sundar. You can have two spinners but one has to be someone who can bat. So India has to decide where to go. I think you can only bring one specialist spinner,” Ashwin said in his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat
He also emphasized the importance of maintaining the effectiveness of Chakravarthy by using it sparingly. Ashwin believes the mystery spinner’s value lies in his unpredictability and overexposure could dilute his impact at the top level.
“And I still say, the less you expose Varun, the better. You have to use him in the right way. The novelty factor has to remain. I also liked how they gave him a rest now and handled it,” he added.
Besides Kuldeep and Chakravarthy, Ashwin highlighted the importance of spin bowling all-rounders such as Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, all of whom offer flexibility with both bat and ball in the ODI format.
Ashwin also reserved praise for Abhishek Sharma, pointing out that the young opener could develop into a valuable spin option if he continues to invest in his bowling.
“Abhishek has skill as a bowler. He also has more variety. He has color potential. But many batters are starting to work less on their bowling as it affects the volume of their batting… I hope Abhishek takes his bowling seriously as he can contribute and be a good spin bowling all-rounder for India in the future,” Ashwin said.
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