I don't think Ravi Ashwin will make a comeback in the Indian limited-overs team: Sunil Gavaskar

In recent years, India’s spin all-rounder Ravi Ashwin has emerged as the team’s vital cog in the purest format of the game. However, despite some stellar performances in the domestic circuit and Indian Premier League (IPL), the veteran hasn’t been successful in making a comeback in India’s limited-overs squad.

Ashwin had last featured in a One Day International for India in June 2017 against West Indies as the emergence of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal as the potential spinners in ODIs and T20Is meant that there was no space for the Tamil Nadu Stalwart.

The talismanic off-spinner has represented India in a whopping 111 One Day Internationals scoring 675 runs at an average of 16.1 and scalping 150 wickets at an economy rate of 4.91. Ashwin also played 46 T20 Internationals scoring runs at an average of 30.8 and picking 52 wickets at 6.97. Coming to IPL, the all-rounder is currently playing his trade for Delhi Capitals and has scalped 138 wickets from 154 matches at an average of 26.81.

Ravi Ashwin will be a Test match player for the next half a dozen years: Sunil Gavaskar

Speaking about the comeback of Ravi Ashwin in the limited-overs format, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar asserted that there is no place for the all-rounder in the team due to the presence of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja in ODIs and T20Is. Though Gavaskar doesn’t see Ashwin playing white-ball cricket, he backed the veteran cricketer to feature in the Test games for India for at least half a dozen years more.

“I somehow don’t think he will now make a comeback in the Indian limited-overs team because India have found in Hardik Pandya the all-rounder at No.7, there is Ravindra Jadeja and then they will have three seamers or maybe one spinner and two-seamers,” Sunil Gavaskar told Starsports.

“I don’t think he will fit into the squad at the moment and therefore, he will be a Test match player for the next half a dozen years at least,” he added.

The 34-year-old is a regular feature in India’s Playing XI in the longest format and has stunning records under his belt. In 76 Test matches, Ashwin has picked an outstanding 394 wickets at an economy rate of 2.82 along with amassing 2626 runs at 28.2.