‘You can take only one specialist spinner’ – R Ashwin on India’s bowling line up for 2027 ODI World Cup

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has offered a clear-eyed assessment of how India might shape their bowling attack for the ICC ODI World Cup 2027, suggesting that team balance could force the management to rethink the traditional two-spinner approach.

Ashwin said India are likely to field only one specialist spinner in their playing XI, with the choice potentially boiling down to Kuldeep Yadav or Varun Chakravarthy. According to Ashwin, playing two frontline spinners could disturb the overall balance, especially when the side also needs a spin-bowling all-rounder who can contribute with the bat.

“If you are playing two spinners, Kuldeep and Varun, then either of them have to be your number eight. So, it is difficult to play two spinners. You can have them in the squad. But then what about the spin batter you want in Axar, Jadeja, or Sundar. You can have two spinners but one has to be someone who can bat. So, India has to decide where to go. I think you can take only one specialist spinner,” Ashwin said on his Youtube channel Ash ki Baat

He also stressed the importance of preserving Chakravarthy’s effectiveness by using him sparingly. Ashwin believes that the mystery spinner’s value lies in his unpredictability and that overexposure could blunt his impact at the highest level.

“And I am still saying the lesser you expose Varun the better. You have to use him properly. The novelty factor has to stay. I also liked how they rested him now too and dealt with it,” he added.

Alongside Kuldeep and Chakravarthy, Ashwin highlighted the importance of spin-bowling all-rounders such as Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar, all of whom offer flexibility with both bat and ball in the ODI format.

Ashwin also reserved praise for Abhishek Sharma, pointing out that the young opener could develop into a valuable spin option if he continues to invest in his bowling.

“Abhishek has skill as a bowler. He has more variety as well. He has hue potential. But a lot of batters start working less on their bowling because it affects the volume of their batting… I hope Abhishek takes his bowling seriously because he can contribute and be a good spin bowling all-rounder for India in the future,” Ashwin said.