Indian cricket icon Ravichandran Ashwin issued a strong response following the unexpected series defeat in Ireland, where India lost 0-2 in the two-match T20I series.
After the loss, fans were puzzled over why young talent Vaibhav Suryavanshi was not given a chance to play. However, Ashwin argued that two losses don’t imply that Abhishek Sharma or Sanju Samson are poor players. He emphasized that selection should not be influenced by fame, recent performances, or external pressures.
Ashwin questioned who would be replaced if Suryavanshi were to be included and stressed that a coach should not have favorites among players.
“We lost two games. So are Sanju and Abhishek bad players? We know what they can do. A team should have to play a player because the team needs the player. A player should not be played because he has to play because of other reasons, his stardom, or what has happened over the last 3-4 months. If Suryavanshi is in the XI in England tomorrow, a lot of people will switch on the TV. But who will you drop? A team’s coach has to look at all three like a father. He cannot have a priority or favorites,” he said on his YouTube channel.
In the series, Abhishek scored 49 and 0, while Samson managed only 5 and 0. Despite these scores, both have been crucial to India’s success in the 2026 T20 World Cup and have been key players for the past two years.
Ravichandran Ashwin on India’s Decision Regarding Vaibhav Suryavanshi
The decision not to include Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the playing XI drew criticism from Indian fans. Nonetheless, Ravichandran Ashwin believed that the decision to play should not be based solely on popularity.
“Just because Vaibhav is 15 or 16, you cannot make a decision that he is a small kid and is my favorite. The youngest kid in the house is always the favorite. But that is not how it works. You need to make the right decision,” he said.
Ashwin noted that while Suryavanshi was included in the squad, there is no harm in him carrying drinks, as he would gain valuable experience from being part of the team.
“I am still holding onto it. Give Suryavanshi some time. But then I said you don’t have a choice. The way he played the IPL, you need to give him a chance somewhere. I am still saying he should be in the squad, and they did that. And it is not degrading. People say you got him to serve drinks. Do you know how much learning he would have gotten? From when did these ethos change? I used to be a ball boy before, too,” he stated.
Furthermore, Ashwin proposed a scenario where if Suryavanshi had debuted under the tough conditions in Ireland and not performed well, perceptions of him might have shifted. He highlighted the importance of learning from the sidelines by observing the mistakes of others.
“Let’s say you gave Suryavanshi a debut here, under these conditions, the wickets were not true. If he failed in both games, will this be reversed? Everyone would tell he can score in the IPL, and in sporting conditions, he does not know how to play. In these conditions, if you play in the same T20 template, there are chances to get out. That is why I said sitting out and watching is not bad. You are learning from somebody else’s experience. Today, a player is good before the toss, and after losing the match, the same player becomes bad. It is not like that. This is cricket,” he expressed.
India is set to play five T20Is in England starting Wednesday, July 1. It remains to be seen if Suryavanshi will make his debut during this series and how many matches he will play.
Edited by Rishab Vm
