"Season With Lot Of Ups And Downs": Ravichandran Ashwin After Rajasthan Royals' Elimination

21.05.2023 - 15:45 sports.ndtv.com

Mumbai Indians' dominant eight-wicket victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match knocked Rajasthan Royals out of the race for IPL 2023 playoffs on Sunday.

RR all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin reflected back on the Royals season which was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride and wished the best to the teams who are still competing for the final place in the Top 4 spot. "It was a season with a lot of ups and downs with the @rajasthanroyals but not the one which we would have loved it to be.

Good luck to all the teams that have gone into the playoffs and to those who are fighting for it tonight," Ashwin wrote in his tweet.

It was a season with a lot of ups and downs with the @rajasthanroyals but not the one which we would have loved it to be. Good luck to all the teams that have gone into the playoffs and to those who are fighting for it tonight. @gujarat_titans @ChennaiIPL @LucknowIPL… As of now Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants have qualified for the playoffs.

cricket Cameron Green Rohit Sharma Ravichandran Ashwin Gujarat Titans India Hyderabad Chennai Bangalore

The great Steve Waugh has become the latest former cricketer to question India's team selection for the World Test Championship final against Australia, saying they have "picked the wrong side" by not including Ravichandran Ashwin on a tricky pitch. World Cup-winning Australian captain Waugh's assessment comes after the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Ricky Ponting and Sanjay Manjrekar expressed their surprise at the Indian team management's decision to take to the field at The Oval without senior off-spinner Ashwin, currently the world's number one bowler in Tests.

India's Predicted XI vs Australia, WTC Final: Ravichandran Ashwin Or Ravindra Jadeja Or Both - Major Question For Rohit Sharma's Team

Team India will be up against Australia in the much-awaited World Test Championship final at The Oval starting from Wednesday. India have been the most consistent side over the past two WTC cycles and also reached knockout phases of major white-ball tournaments over the last 10 years but an ICC trophy has eluded them. The last major ICC trophy India won was way back in 2013 when it bagged the Champions Trophy in England. A lot of debate regarding the Playing XI has been going on, especially for the position of the wicketkeeper. As Rishabh Pant has been out of action since December, last year and KL Rahul has also been ruled out, the squad consists of Ishan Kishan and KS Bharat as the wicketkeeping options.

Ravindra Jadeja Or Ravichandran Ashwin At The Oval? Gavaskar Picks India's WTC Final Playing XI

Former Indian cricket team skipper Sunil Gavaskar picked his preferred playing XI for India in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia and it came with a couple of surprises. In the race for wicket-keeper, he picked KS Bharat to retain his position as he has been playing for the side regularly. Gavaskar also went with two spinners at the Oval and three pace bowlers but added that this strategy will work on a “bright day” and any change in playing conditions will change the combination.

"Have Not Said Ravichandran Ashwin Is...": Rohit Sharma On India's Playing XI For WTC Final vs Australia

On another nippy and overcast morning in London on Tuesday, Rohit was among the four squad members who turned up for optional practice. R Ashwin, Umesh and K S Bharat were the others who showed up in the morning session along with the net bowlers. Rohit was seen holding his left thumb following a hit in the nets but he did not appear to be in a lot of discomfort.

"If Conditions Demand...": England Great Warns India Ahead Of WTC Final

India should learn from their past mistakes and not think twice before leaving one of their premier spinners out of the playing XI for the World Test Championship final against Australia if the conditions demand, said former England skipper Nasser Hussain. The spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin didn't make much of an impact two years ago when India lost to New Zealand by eight wickets in a rain-hit final of the inaugural edition. According to Hussain, India made the blunder of reading the conditions wrong the last time and shouldn't repeat the mistake this time as they eye their maiden ICC title in 10 years. "I think India, as they showed in Australia, can win in any conditions,” Hussain said on The ICC Review.