Ravichandran Ashwin criticized India head coach Gautam Gambhir over the team management's preference for bits-and-pieces cricketers. Ashwin questioned the strategy of relying on makeshift all-rounders in white-ball cricket as replacements for Hardik Pandya, who has struggled with injuries over the past two years.
Hardik has dealt with recurring injuries and workload management issues. He last played in an ODI during the 2025 Champions Trophy final and recently missed the T20I and ODI series against England due to injury. Gautam Gambhir selected Shivam Dube and Suryansh Shedge for the respective series.
Speaking on ESPN Cricinfo, Ravichandran Ashwin questioned Gautam Gambhir's preference for makeshift all-rounders whenever Hardik Pandya is unavailable. He said that picking bits-and-pieces players affects the team's balance.
"If Hardik is not there, it's Nitish Kumar Reddy and then Shivam Dube. There is no point in harping about players that are not ready to play in your combination. If they are injured, they are injured. That's par for the course in any sport."
Ravichandran Ashwin Compares Rahul Dravid and Gautam Gambhir's Approaches
Ravichandran Ashwin compared Gambhir's and former head coach Rahul Dravid's approaches. He pointed out that after Hardik Pandya suffered a tournament-ending injury, Dravid stayed with five specialist bowlers and adjusted the batting order instead of another all-rounder.
"Look at the 2023 World Cup, which just fizzled out because Hardik wasn't part of the combination. But the moment it fizzled out, they were not searching and they did not try to play the sixth bowler. They skinned the cat differently and went with five bowlers."
"They ensured the rest of the squad did not have a lack of clarity and were very stable even after Hardik's injury. They got to the final doing that. The players and the ethos in the dressing room is what will win you the World Cup."
"This bits and pieces has been a fascination for this management. That's probably why we have struggled in Tests as Tests are firmly for the specialists. It's match-winners with the ball and bat that this management needs to keep at the top of their mind."
Ravichandran Ashwin calls for a settled squad before the 2027 ODI World Cup
Ashwin urged the team management to settle on a core group of players ahead to the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. He said that India should reduce the player pool and give those players enough time to prepare together before the tournament.
"There needs to be clarity before any discussions about personnel. Go to 17/18 players and tell them that we are going to pick the squad from that pool and they play the next 14 months, whoever that be."
"It has to have two keepers, three spinners and five pacers. Rotate the players in this pool with the vision of putting the best 11, come the first day of the World Cup. As of now, it's lacking a lot of clarity."
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