T20 World Cup 2021 player profile: Ravichandran Ashwin
Having played his last T20I in 2017, consistent Test performances meant Ravichandran Ashwin found himself a slot in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
Ashwin has started off well on his return with economical spells in warm-ups against England and Australia. He returned figures of 0/23 against England and then 2/8 against Australia, both encounters that saw India win.
The spells also meant he made a case for himself to be part of the playing XI when India take on Pakistan in their T20 World Cup campaign opener on Sunday (October 24). Ashwin comes with a wealth of experience across formats and has 52 wickets from 46 T20Is at an average of 22.94.
Ravichandran Ashwin's T20 form in the last 10 games
Seven wickets from thirteen matches is not a figure that one would usually associate with Ravichandran Ashwin. But the fact was that he was not at his best in the IPL.
Although the Delhi Capitals (DC) made the playoffs, it was largely due to their overall batting exploits and their pace battery. Ashwin ended his IPL with an average of 47.28 and an economy rate of 7.41.
Prior to that, he was lethal in the World Test Championship (WTC), finishing as the highest wicket-taker, picking up 71 wickets from 14 matches.
Why is Ravichandran Ashwin a key figure in India's setup?
Quite simply, it is because of the experience and the skill that Ravichandran Ashwin brings out. He has been instrumental in picking up wickets irrespective of the conditions and will be looked at to do the same in the tournament.
Ashwin may not be a Danny Green, but he is still Jared Dudley with a lot of cricket left in him. His wicket-taking ability in subcontinent conditions is hardly a surprise and will be central to India's journey in the T20 World Cup.
Expert opinion: ‘He's at his confident best’
Talking about his inclusion in the team, Indian skipper Virat Kohli said it was Ravichandran Ashwin at his confident best as he went about reviving his skills in the limited overs format.
Speaking during a media interaction, Kohli said:
“Ashwin has been rewarded for reviving his white-ball skills altogether. He bowls with a lot of courage in white-ball cricket.”
He added:
“If you saw the IPL in the last couple of years, he's bowled difficult overs, he's bowled against the top players in the IPL, and not being shy to put the ball in the right areas. Spinners can get intimidated by the way power hitters hit the ball, but Ashwin believed in his skill set."