Why Ashwin Is Not Considered In T20 Format For India, Here's The Answer

Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the all-time great bowlers and is already considered a modern-day legend. Yet, in the last few years, he is not considered in the T20 format to play for India. 

Despite being a bowler who has taken more than 400 test wickets and has figured out a variety of variations to deceive the batsman, the T20 format hasn't been favorable to Ashwin.

R Ashwin has played 46 T20I games for India, 2010 to 2017, and has taken 52 wickets at a strike of 19.7. It means that he took one wicket per match. His economy - 6.97 - is pretty decent for the format but his inability to take wickets means batsmen had figured out his variations and had no problem facing him. 

During his T20I career span between 2010 - 2017, the emergence of wrist spinners had already started to get visible. Yuzvendra Chahal made his debut in 2016 and played 14 matches for India till 2017. He picked up 26 wickets at a strike rate of 12.3 - the best among the spin bowlers with more than 10 wickets in between the years of 2010 to 2017. 

The top three spin bowlers were all wrist spinners including Chahal of India, Zulfiqar Babar from Pakistan(13.0), and New Zealand's Ish Sodhi(13.0). 

 

The overall figures from 2011 till date also suggest the importance of wrist spinners in the T20 format. The top seven spin bowlers in terms of strike rate with more than 10 wickets are all either leg break or legspinners. 

The fade of R Ashwin in the T20 format is evident by the fact that off-spin hasn't been the best counter for batsmen while the wrist spinners, though expensive, take more wickets at a better rate. 

Considering Ashwin in IPL, in the last three seasons - 2018, 2019, 2020 - he has taken 38 wickets in 43 matches at a strike rate of 25.41 while bowling at an economy of 7.67. 

On the other hand, Yuzvendra Chahal has now become the highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is with 62 scalps at a strike rate of 18.1 with an economy of 8.40. At the same time, Kuldeep Yadav has the best economy among spinners for the last 10 years - 11.6 - taking 39 wickets at an economy of 7.11. 

The trend with wrist spinners in the limited-overs format, especially in T20s, has made India leave out Ashwin. India has chosen a better strike rate at the cost of a slightly expensive wicket-taker. 

Of course, R Ashwin is one of the greatest all-time test spinners, or rather bowlers, however, the T20 format doesn't give justice to his craft.