Asia Cup 2023: Ravichandran Ashwin Fumes Over Those 'Degrading' India Players
Ravichandran Ashwin explained why the team management backed Tilak Varma, yet to make his ODI debut, and Suryakumar Yadav, whose form in 50-over format has been very bad, going into the 2023 Asia Cup.
Ever since Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee announced a 17-man squad India squad for 2023 Asia Cup, debates and discussions over "selection and non-selection of players" have been raging in social media - whether it is a strong lineup or not. While the team announced is mostly on the expected lines, a couple of stars missed the berth. Senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who has been snubbed from the Asia Cup squad, is irritated at such discussions. He explained why the team management backed Tilak Varma, yet to make his ODI debut, and Suryakumar Yadav, whose form in 50-over format has been very bad, going into the 2023 Asia Cup.
"Tilak hasn't scored much in this Ireland series so far. But he is showing unreal intent from the first ball. And this youngsters is coming to bat with a clear mind. Since he is bringing some freshness into the squad, they have backed him for that backup slot. Similar with Surya," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
"He has that x-factor and that's why the team is backing him to come good in the ODI format as well. We will go back in time to see how we have won World Cups. be it MS Dhoni or any other captain, they have backed their players to come good. Of course, if you want to have a for and against debate for dropping or selecting player, you can have a healthy debate. We all know how good a player Suryakumar Yadav has been. His impact, what a match-winner he has been, and he has been our go-to T20 player. I think this is all IPL warfare."
Ashwin elaborated on how IPL fandom shouldn't make fans myopic.
"When you get into the World Cup, we should see all our players as representatives of India. Once IPL gets over, put a cloth, move on, and once the player plays for India, accept that he played really well in the IPL. Fans are engaging in war even after IPL," he said.
"Let us say, SKY is batting along side Virat Kohli in a crucial chase. Even if you are not a Mumbai Indians fan you will appreciate Suryakumar and will want him to take us home, right?
"The selectors know what they are doing. In a huge country like India, when you select a squad, there will be some key players who will be missing the cut. So, just because your favourite is not there in the squad, you should not degrade the others."
Rohit Sharma-led India started their 2023 Asia Cup campaign on September 2 in Sri Lanka's Colombo against Pakistan.
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