R Ashwin on India’s Champions Trophy playing XI: Where are your left-handed batters and who is your No 8?

“Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill open, both right-handed. Then there’s Virat Kohli. Shreyas Iyer likely bats at 4, given his strong performance in the World Cup. KL Rahul follows. At No. 6, it’s a choice between Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Hardik occupies No. 7. We lack left-handed batters in the top seven. Outside the XI, we have Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant,” he explained.

On Jaiswal

Analyzing India’s playing XI, the veteran spinner questions whether Yashasvi Jaiswal will get a game.

“Jaiswal might only play if someone gets injured. He could have a chance against England. But what if he scores consecutive centuries?

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s maturity and range are adequate to warrant a spot in India’s Champions Trophy squad and beyond now. (Sportzpics)

“One option is to open with Jaiswal and Rohit, pushing Shubman to 3, followed by Virat at 4. This would place either Rishabh Pant or KL Rahul at 5.

“If Jaiswal plays, Shreyas Iyer would likely be dropped. While unlikely, India must capitalize on Jaiswal’s current form,” he stated.

On Washington Sundar

R Ashwin suggests that Washington Sundar could also feature in the playing XI, given coach Gautam Gambhir’s trust in his batting abilities.

“Another scenario involves Washington Sundar. I’m not biased, but Gautam Gambhir highly values Washington due to his batting. He can also be used as a floater.

India’s Washington Sundar plays a shot during a training session ahead of the first T20 match of the series against England, at Eden Garden in Kolkata

“If you follow the World Cup format, you play either Jaddu or Axar at No. 6, Hardik at 7, and Washington at 8. This allows for three fast bowlers or Kuldeep and two pacers, maintaining balance with Hardik’s all-round skills,” he said.

On dew factor and Nitish Kumar Reddy

R Ashwin emphasized the significant impact of dew in Dubai, where India will play all its matches.

“In the ongoing ILT20, dew is a factor in every match. Will India risk playing three spinners?”

Ashwin believes India should have considered Nitish Kumar Reddy instead of the three finger spinners – Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar.

Nitish Kumar Reddy in action during the 2nd India vs Bangladesh in Delhi. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)

“If Washington bats at No. 8, it weakens the batting. Ideally, he should bat at 8.

“Does it make sense to have a player like Nitish Reddy in the scheme of things? If Kuldeep plays at 9, it’s two pacers and three spinners. With Nitish, he could bat at 8, allowing Kuldeep at 9 and two fast bowlers. This would provide the luxury of four fast bowlers and two spinners. I don’t know if he was considered,” Ashwin said.

“Kuldeep is a lock at No. 9, as the primary spinner. Among the finger spinners, I think one fast bowler could have been accommodated. I’m sure there were discussions.”

Ashwin’s likely playing XI

R Ashwin acknowledged that India will likely follow the 2023 World Cup template.

“It’s difficult to exclude KL Rahul given his excellent ODI and World Cup performances.

KL Rahul scored 66 runs in the World Cup final. (Express Photo by Nirmal Harindran)

“Rohit and Gill will open, Virat at 3, Shreyas at 4. At 5, either KL or Pant, with KL likely. At 6, it’s between Jaddu and Axar. Hardik at 7.

“Washington Sundar at 8 might not be feasible if dew is a major factor. In that case, Kuldeep Yadav would bat at 8, and the team would likely go with all seamers – Arshdeep, Bumrah, and Shami.

“In the 2023 World Cup, we lacked batting depth from No. 8 onwards. These are the crucial questions that need to be addressed,” he concluded.

Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja/Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah.