Senior India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has admitted that the upcoming World Cup 2023 is most likely to be his last World Cup, in any format.
Ashwin was dropped from the T20I team after India’s semi-final exit in last year’s T20 World Cup in Australia. However, that wouldn’t indicate everything as he was also away from the ODI side for 18 months but got a recall this month for the Australia series as Axar Patel was injured.
He picked 4 wickets in 2 matches – those of David Warner, Marnus Labuschgne (twice), and Josh Inglis – and was then named in the 15-man squad for the World Cup, replacing Axar Patel.
On Saturday, ahead of the start of India’s warm-up fixture vs England in Guwahati, Ashwin gave a short interview to his friend Dinesh Karthik, who is working as a commentator for Star Sports.
Speaking about this late call-up to the ODI side, Ravichandran Ashwin said: “Life is full of surprises and I honestly wasn’t thinking I would be here. The trust that the team management has shown and the circumstances have made sure I am here today. But enjoying the game has been my prime motive over the last few years and that is what I will be doing in this tournament.”
Ashwin turned 37 years old two weeks ago. So he’s unlikely to be playing ODI cricket when the 2027 World Cup comes around.
All I do is turn the ball both ways: Ravichandran Ashwin
During his two ODIs against Australia, Ashwin showed his great control and repertoire of variations to dismiss Warner, Marnus and Inglis.
Ravichandran Ashwin added: “All I do is turn the ball both ways and I feel I can already do that. It is all about doing subtle variations and dealing with pressure in these sort of tournaments. Pressure is of paramount importance for most players in these tournament, but how you deal with it dictate how the tournament goes for yourself and the team. As far as I am concerned, being in a good space and enjoying the game will hold me in good stead. I have kept saying this, it could well be my last World Cup for India.”
India’s warm-up match against England in Guwahati was washed out without a ball being bowled.
