Last Updated on October 1, 2021 by Umar Khan
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is right at the corner now. We are just 15 days away from the live-action of the ICC Mega Event. Indian team is scheduled to play its first against its arch-rival Pakistan. On spinning tracks of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, spinners like R Chahal can be lethal for his team. But wait a minute!! Is he included in the initial 15-members team India Squad? No, he has been thrown out by the Indian selectors, and R Ashwin has given preference over him.
Comparison Between Ashwin And Chahal
Ravi Chandran Ashwin is undoubtedly an excellent player, and he has been serving his team for a decade now. But the main concern is that will he be able to produce what Indian is expecting from him? Why do critics say that? Let us find out.
Ashwin Last T20 Match
It has been a while since he is out of the T20 Squad. He played his last t20 match against West Indies in Kingston, where he was part of the losing chaos. In his four Over quota, he conceded 39 runs without taking a single wicket at an economy rate of 9.75. So, he was very expensive in that particular. Match.
But might say that any bowler can have a bad day, and that is right. But as mentioned earlier, he has not played his team in the shorter format for the last year, which can be dangerous for the Indian team as one bad spell can India to cost a match.
Chahal Last Outing Before T20 World Cup 2021
On the other hand, if we talk about Yuzvendra Chahal’s presence in the shorter format of the game. So he was part of the Indian squad of the recent Sri Lankan tour. This match was played between Sri Lanka and India on 25th July 2021. It means Indian selectors favored, including Yuzvendra Chahal in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 India Squad.
In his last outing, his performance was outstanding compared to Ashwin, and he was part of winning chaos for his team. Though the series was not a good one for India, still Yuzvendra Chahal made his statement that he is a better choice than Ashwin. He bowled four overs took a wicket for 19 runs.
Some other factors can also be taken into consideration. For example, Ashwin is more a test bowler, and his performance is not that good in the limited version of cricket. On the other hand, Chahal is more a T20 Specialist.
Moreover, Ashwin will make it difficult for him to adapt to the format quickly, and it will take him time to readjust himself. Chahal has been a regular member of the squad, so it will not be a big problem for him to overcome any difficult situation.
The most important thing is the stats. Let’s compare their stats in their last matches. And we will also have a look at their overall T20 track record.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s T20 Record Overall
| Format | M | Inn | B | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Econ | Avg | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20 | 46 | 46 | 1026 | 1193 | 52 | 4/8 | 4/8 | 6.98 | 22.94 | 19.73 |
Yuzvendra Chahal T20 Overall Record
| Format | M | Inn | B | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Econ | Avg | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20 | 49 | 49 | 1149 | 1594 | 63 | 6/25 | 6/25 | 8.32 | 25.3 | 18.24 |
The above stats clearly show that Yuzvendera Chahal would be a better selection. But Ashwin is a world-class spinner who can destroy any batting lineup on his day.