Would never have somebody like Ashwin in my T20 team: Manjrekar

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar believes R Ashwin is not a great force in white-ball cricket and he would never have someone like him in his T20 team. The offspinner, who is part of the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup, picked up only seven wickets in 13 encounters in the Indian Premier League 2021. The 35-year-old operated at an average of 47.28 but was slightly economical (7.41).

The Delhi Capitals offspinner was asked to bowl the final over against Kolkata Knight Riders in the second Qualifier. With seven runs to defend, Ashwin dismissed Shakib al Hasan and Sunil Narine off successive deliveries but then got hit for a six off the penultimate ball, as Delhi were knocked out of the tournament.

"Ashwin, the T20 bowler, is not a great force in any team. We have spent far too much talking about Ashwin. Ashwin, the T20 bowler, is not a great force in any team. And if you want Ashwin to change, I don’t think that’s going to happen because he’s been like this for the last five-seven years," Manjrekar was quoted as saying on ESPNCricinfo.

"I can understand us dwelling on Ashwin in Test matches where he’s fantastic. Him not playing a single Test match in England was a travesty. But to spend so much time on Ashwin when it comes to IPL and T20 cricket.

“I think he has shown us in the last five years that he’s bowled exactly the same and I would never have somebody like Ashwin in my team because if I got turning pitches, I would expect people like Varun Chakravarthy or Sunil Narine or Yuzvendra Chahal and how they do their job, they get you wickets.” 

Ashwin hasn’t played a T20I for India since July 2017. He has featured in 46 T20Is and claimed 52 wickets at an economy of 6.97.