"People Finding Points To Blame Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma": Ravichandran Ashwin Takes Swipe Critics

02.08.2023 - 10:59 sports.ndtv.com

Fuming over certain Indian fans and experts' 'over-reaction' to the management's decision of benching Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the ODI series against West Indies, Ravichandran Ashwin hasn't held back.

The veteran off-spinner, disappointed with the public sentiment over the absence of Rohit and Kohli in the ODI series, Ashwin jumped to the defence of coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit.

The marquee spinner feels some people are just trying to find reasons to blame the captain-coach duo without understanding the extent of injuries the squad has at the moment. "India lost the second ODI and immediately the trend in social media was - why so-and-so players played and why so-and-so players did not play.

I seriously don't understand why this outrage. Rohit and Virat didn't play in the second ODI. Even in the first match, Rohit batted lower down the order.

cricket India Cricket Team West Indies Cricket Team 2023 Rohit Sharma Rahul Dravid Ravichandran Ashwin India

Veteran India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has backed wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson to bat at no. 3 in the ongoing T20I series against Ireland. Samson, who has been synonymous with no. 3 while playing for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has been asked to bat lower down the order for India. However, with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan rested for the Ireland tour, Samson might get the chance to bat in his preferred position.

Asia Cup 2023: Doors Shut For Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal To Make India ODI Return? Rohit Sharma's Big Reply

The Indian cricket team squad for Asia Cup 2023 was announced on Monday and a big exclusion was veteran spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal. Instead, the selectors went for the left-arm trio of Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. During the press conference following the team selection meeting, skipper Rohit Sharma and BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar opened up about the reasons behind the team selection and what it can mean for the future when it comes to the ones who were not picked. "Axar Patel has done really well. He can bat too. Kuldeep Yadav has had a fantastic run to this point. So someone had to miss out. Kuldeep is currently a little ahead of him (Chahal), said Agarkar in the conference.

"One Position Can't Win Us...": Rohit Sharma Shuts Down Debate Over No. 4 Slot

The debate over who will bat for the Indian cricket at No. 4 dominated headlines in the build up to the squad announcement for Asia Cup 2023. From Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma being considered as valid options to suggestions of playing Virat Kohli at the role, there were no shortage of discussions. The squad was finally announced on Monday and it comprised of multiple options for the middle-order positions but skipper Rohit Sharma made it clear that the debate needs to stop about a particular slot.

Indian Squad For Asia Cup Could Have Additional Members, Rahul Dravid To Be Part Of Selection Meeting: Report

The Indian selection panel, led by Ajit Agarkar, is likely to go for a 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in order to check out all possible options ahead of the ODI World Cup, starting October 5. It is also learnt that BCCI is bucking the convention for the first time and head coach Rahul Dravid will also be present in his official capacity during the meeting scheduled in the national capital on Monday morning. It can be confirmed that neither Ravi Shastri nor Anil Kumble were part of selection meetings during their tenure as national coach.

Rohit Sharma To Attend BCCI's Meeting In Delhi To Select Asia Cup Squad: Report

The men's senior selection committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), led by Ajit Agarkar, will meet in New Delhi on Monday to discuss the Asia Cup squad. Indian captain Rohit Sharma will also attend the meeting. India's team has yet to announce their squad for Asia Cup and World Cup amid concerns over the injury of their key players, while nations like Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh have already named their Asia Cup squads. England and Australia have also announced the provisional squad for the World Cup 2023.

Asia Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma Makes Selection Stance Clear On Injured Stars' Comeback

With both KL Rahul – India's preferred option for No. 5 as wicketkeeper-batter – and Shreyas Iyer on comeback trail, Rohit Sharma has said they will wait and watch how these two players go. "No one is an automatic (selection), even I am not. We have this thing where nobody is guaranteed a spot. We cannot say that 'you are there after all' or things like that," Rohit said.