Mohammad Kaif reckons offie R Ashwin can be 'valuable asset' for India in T20Is

Mohammad Kaif reckons that Ravichandran Ashwin can represent Team India in the shortest format of the game i.e. in T20Is after he had an excellent run in the Dream11 IPL 2020 where he had dismissed a few power-hitters. Ashwin managed 13 scalps in 15 matches as Delhi went on to make their first-ever final appearance since the inception of the marquee tournament in 2008. However, they were just not good in the decider against Mumbai who successfully retained their title with a five-wicket win in a one-sided contest. 

Kaif serves as the assistant coach of the Delhi team. 

'A valuable asset' 

Taking to the micro-blogging site, the former Indian middle-order batsman wrote that the veteran offie's list of big scalps from IPL 13 included the likes of Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli, Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma, his team-mates as well as explosive batsmen Kieron Pollard and, Quinton de Kock, Punjab's power-hitters Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Karun Nair, young Bangalore opener Devdutt Padikkal, elegant Hyderabad skipper David Warner and the dynamic duo of Rajasthan- skipper Steve Smith and, Jos Buttler, etc. 

At the same time, Kaif also mentioned that most of his wickets had come in the Powerplay overs (in the first 6 overs when fielders are inside the 30-yard circle). The cricketer-turned-commentator/analyst concluded by saying he feels that the Test specialist can still be a valuable asset for India in T20Is.

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R Ashwin's limited-overs career & the tour of Australia

Ravi Ashwin has been India's Test specialist for the last few years. He had last played white-ball cricket of India back in July 2017 when West Indies had hosted India in a one-off T20I match. 'Ash' was no longer in the team's scheme of things in the limited-overs after the emergence of wrist-spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal later in the year. 

The Tamil Nadu all-rounder has 150 scalps from 111 One Day Internationals and 52 wickets in 46 T20I matches. Coincidentally, his last appearance in an ICC event had also come in the same year during the ICC Champions Trophy where the Men In Blue made it to the finals but suffered a bitter defeat by a mammoth 180 runs at the hands of arch-rivals Pakistan. The off-spinner had a forgettable day as he finished with figures of 0/70 from 10 overs.

The Chennai-based all-rounder will next be seen in action in the upcoming four-match Test series against Australia starting December 17. 

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