Ravi Ashwin is in the WC T20 team cos...

[Lord]

Would easily play him over Chahal as lead spinner

 

Extra batting ability at 8 and equally good/bad as Chahal in bowling. Chahal can go either way whereas Ash even on bad day wont get tonked much. 

[vvvslaxman]

Ashwin must open the bowling if at all he plays. Highest wicket taker among spinners in power play in IPL history 46 wickets.  ER 6.56   inside power play. It gives us a great relief in the death overs. You will have so many options. 

Edited September 13, 2022 by vvvslaxman

[R!TTER]

Because that *wit is also there 

[singhvivek141]

He is there due to our lack of batting/hitting ability in tail.

Bhuvi, Arshdeep, Chahal are duds with bat, Bumrah has improved but still nowhere at a level where they can score 20(12) deliveries. Ashwin and Axar are the only ones but I don't think both will play together, even Harshal's batting is inferior to Deepak Chahar or Shardul Thakur.
 

[vishalvirsingh]

Selection STRATEGY Should always be "Horses for courses"

 

2. Selectors should always COPY what the AUSRALIAN Selectors( where the matches will be held)- if they PICK 5 Pacers and 1 SPINNER- We should also do that. Because they are going to Prepare Pitches as per the requirements and needs to their Bowlers.if australia is picking Hit the DECK bowlers, we should also try to pick hit the deck fast bowlers. 

 

I can assure you- guarantee you if INDIAN Selectors do that , INDIA is definitely going to BEAT Australia and others.

[figo6762]

Due to his English proficiency 

[Gollum]

Multiple reasons:

 

1. Washi Sundar has flattered to deceive in this format, plus his never ending injury issues. Only other Indian cricketer capable of playing Ashwin's role (offie with match-up advantage against LHBs, PP bowling, #8 batting option) but not there yet, maybe he will surpass Ashwin the T20 player by the time of next T20 WC, not even close now!!!!

 

2. Jaddu's injury totally altered team balance/dynamics, with so many tailenders in the mix we had to go for a bowler capable of wielding the bat, and as per recent evidence Ashwin's power hitting has improved a great deal. Team can't afford to shut shop with 5 wickets down, well set batsman can't refuse singles in 20th over just because of 6 wickets down (Kohli against Pak in Asia Cup)....madness!!! Also imagine a scenario with us requiring 35-40 runs in final 5 with 6-7 wickets down, someone like Ashwin can steer us to victory (did it a few times in recent IPLs on tricky surfaces), I have no hope on most of our bowlers in such situations, they are totally inept with the bat!!! With Ashwin, Harshal potentially slotting in at 8/9 hope our top 7 can bat more fearlessly. One may say then, why not Thakur/Deepak but honestly Thakur has lost his Midas touch and Deepak Chahar will be cannon fodder on those pitches, last edition's best batsman David Warner can potentially take 30+ runs in their overs at any stage of the game, against Ashwin he will be watchful even in final PP over, absolutely no comparison based on recent form and playing conditions. 

 

3. Ashwin can bowl in all phases, captain doesn't have to hide him in first 6, a flexibility that spinners like Chahal, Jadeja could never give to their skippers. Among spinners he is among top 2-3 in PP phase, with a special liking for LHBs (think top order bats from tournament favs like Warner, Kock etc.)

 

4. Even on bad days he can complete his 4 overs quota, doubt he has gone for over 40 in his international career!!!

 

See, most of us would have liked to see Bishnoi, but Jadeja's injury was unexpected. Not that I rate Jadeja the T20 player (IMO Ashwin still offers more value) plus Jaddu has historically sucked in this tournament with both bat and ball and has also been a major panauti factor for us . 

 

Bishnoi over Chahal is something I would have preferred but sadly not to be. Axar and Ashwin pick themselves especially as spin bowling ARs, sure our spin stocks are slightly weaker than other top contenders but we pick the best ones available. Too many things going Ashwin's way at least this time, hope Sundar is ready to take over the mantle in 2024, that kid is one of the greatest talents I have seen in India colours (and insanely clutch at such a young age starting from Nidahas trophy at the age of 17/18) but first he needs to play one full season without injury/niggle. 

Edited September 18, 2022 by Gollum

[Gollum]

This time I wish to see us adapt the Pak WT20 2009 strategy. They had peak Umar Gul in their ranks, an absolutely devastating T20 bowler especially at the death. Do you guys remember how he operated in that edition?

 

We must play to our strengths, we don't have the greatest strike bowlers in this squad, we rarely take a bundle of wickets upfront. But we have 2 gun death bowlers in Bumrah/Arshdeep, maybe Harshal too if he clicks. In Ashwin we have one of the most effective PP bowlers, so why hold him till middle overs? If we are playing Bhuvi, make him bowl 3 overs upfront or better yet Hardik....use Ashwin as well, slip in an over of Axar. Maybe one Arshdeep over depending on match-ups. Hold Bumrah till after over 10, use him in second part of the innings like how Pak used peak Gul in 2009. Use Arshdeep at the death, Harshal too potentially. Maybe alter the approach and play to our strengths for a change. Agar Bumrah/Arshdeep se new ball wickets nahi mil rahe toh unhe final 10 mein use karo. FGS Pak used 120 kph trundler oldie Razzaq as a new ball bowler in that WT20 and it paid dividends, they had their chuckers+Afridi to introduce early, we can do the same with Ashwin/Axar. I don't think we need to play Chahal, load our batting till #9 and go for a different distribution of overs, not the ghisa pita stuff of Bumrah with brand new ball, 6 overs of pace upfront yada yada.

 

I'll pick a XI like this:

Rohit

KLR

Kohli

SKY/Pant (mainly cos I am worried about  SKY's game on those pitches against good fast bowling teams)

Hardik

DK

Axar

Ashwin

Harshal

Bumrah

Arshdeep

 

Bat deep, and change distribution of overs like

1, 3: Hardik

2, 4: Ashwin

5: Arshdeep

6: Axar/Ashwin

Then Harshal, Axar take over in middle phase and Bumrah to bowl from say over 12 or 13. Bumrah and Arshdeep to bowl bulk of final 7-8 overs, adjust remaining overs depending on how each bowler is faring that day.....we have 6 bowling options!!!!

 

Against Warner or Kock I'll say start the proceedings with Ashwin. Also feel Pandya may surprise many with his new ball bowling, at his peak he used to get good shape especially outswing. 

 

[Vilander]

So what is the injury update on Washington sundar man.. 

[Vilander]

In the past 15 months Washi Sundar has been selected for 3 tours and got injured 5 different times finger, COVID , hamstring, finger, shoulder. Lol damn.