Ravichandran Ashwin criticized India head coach Gautam Gambhir for the team management giving preference to minor cricketers. Ashwin questioned the strategy of relying on makeshift all-rounders in white-ball cricket as a replacement for Hardik Pandya, who has struggled with injuries in the last two years.
Hardik has dealt with recurring injuries and workload management issues. He played his last ODI match during the 2025 Champions Trophy final Recently missed the T20I and ODI series against England Due to injury. Gautam Gambhir chose Shivam Dubey and Suryansh Shedge for the respective series.
If Hardik Pandya is not there then…- Ravichandran Ashwin questions Gautam Gambhir
Speaking on ESPN Cricinfo, Ravichandran Ashwin questioned Gautam Gambhir’s preference for makeshift all-rounders if Hardik Pandya is unavailable. He said that selecting small players affects the balance of the team.
“If Hardik is not there, it is Nitish Kumar Reddy and then Shivam Dubey. There is no point talking about players who are not ready to play in your combination. If they are injured, they are injured. It is par for the course in any game.”
Ravichandran Ashwin compares the approach of Rahul Dravid and Gautam Gambhir
Ravichandran Ashwin compared the approach of Gambhir and former head coach Rahul Dravid. He pointed out that after Hardik Pandya suffered a tournament-ending injury, Dravid stuck with five specialist bowlers and adjusted the batting order instead of any other all-rounder.
“Look at the 2023 World Cup, which failed just because Hardik was not part of the combination. But as soon as it failed, they were not searching and they did not try to play the sixth bowler. They strategized differently and went with five bowlers.”
“He made sure there was no lack of clarity in the rest of the team and he was very steady even after Hardik’s injury. He did that by reaching the final. The players and the ethos in the dressing room are what will win you a World Cup.”
“This bit-by-bit has been a fascination for this management. Maybe that’s why we have struggled in Tests because Tests are completely for the specialists. Match-winners with ball and bat will have to keep this management uppermost in their minds.”
Ravichandran Ashwin has demanded a settled team ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup
Ashwin urged the team management to decide on a core group of players ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. He said that India should reduce the pool of players and give those players enough time to prepare together before the tournament.
“There needs to be clarity before any discussion about personnel. Go to the 17/18 players and tell them we are going to pick a team from that pool and they will play over the next 14 months, whoever it is.”
“It should have two keepers, three spinners and five pacers. Rotate the players in this pool with a view to including the best 11 on the first day of the World Cup. As of now, there is a lot of clarity lacking.”