R Ashwin Might Go Unsold In IPL 2025 Auction: Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag On R Ashwin: Unimpressed by Ravichandran Ashwin's bowling form, Sehwag said that the off-spinner could be dropped this season.

Virender Sehwag, the former India and IPL star, is currently working as a pundit around the seventeenth season of the cash-rich league. The dashing batter during his playing days does not seem too impressed with the way Rajasthan Royals spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has bowled in the tournament. The veteran India bowler has not been able to take wickets and hasn't been economical either. In the 8 IPL 2024 matches that he has played, Ashwin has produced only 2 wickets this season.

However, when asked to speak about his form, Ashwin said that taking wickets in T20s is irrelevant. However, Sehwag compared Ashwin's statetement to KL Rahul's stance on strike rate. He said that if Ashwin continues the way he has been bowling, he could be dropped for the next season of the IPL and might go unsold at the mega auction before the next season.

All Of Ashwin's Competitors Are Getting Wickets: Sehwag

Sehwag said all of Ashwin's competitiors like Yuzvendra Chahal or Kuldeep Yadav are amongst the wickets this season and he should perhaps focus on bowling more of off spin or doosra to take wickets.

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"This is the same as when KL Rahul had said that the strike rate doesn't matter. Same thing. He said it for batting, Ashwin has said it for bowling that it doesn't matter if you get the wickets. If his stats aren't good, then he may not even get picked in the auction next year. When you pick a bowler, do you expect him to give away 25-30 runs or do you expect him to give you wickets and become man of the match twice or thrice?" Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.

"All his competitors - Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav or anyone else - are getting the wickets. He thinks if he bowls off spin then anyone will hit him. Which is why he bowls his carrom bowl, which is why he is not getting any wickets. Maybe if he believes in his off spin or doosra, he can bag more wickets. But that's his mindset. But if I were a mentor or a coach of a franchise, I wouldn't think like that. If my bowler is thinking about saving runs and not taking wickets, he won't find a place in the team," he added.