India opted for three finger-spinning all-rounders—Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar—while leaving out an extra seam-bowling option for the upcoming tournament.
Ravichandran Ashwin reckoned that a player like Nitish Kumar Reddy could have balanced the team better and added depth for the upcoming multi-nation tournament, which is set to get underway on February 19 in Pakistan with India playing its games in Dubai, UAE.
Ashwin said on his YouTube channel: “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. 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.”
'Gautam Gambhir highly values Washington Sundar'
He explained, “I’m not biased, but Gautam Gambhir highly values Washington Sundar due to his batting. He can also be used as a floater. 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.”
Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin said that Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will be the likely openers for India at the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, followed by Virat Kohli at number 3 and Shreyas Iyer at number 4. Ashwin feels KL Rahul is expected to bat at number 5.
However, the Tamil Nadu spinner predicted that there would be a toss-up for the sixth position between Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, with Hardik Pandya slotting in at number 7 for the upcoming tournament.
Here's Ravichandran Ashwin's India XI for the Champions Trophy 2025:
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.
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