"I am not 100% certain that it is possible" - Aakash Chopra on R Ashwin going past Anil Kumble's 619 Test wickets

Aakash Chopra believes it is unlikely that R Ashwin will be able to surpass Anil Kumble's record tally of 619 Test wickets for Team India.

Ashwin became India's second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket when he crossed Kapil Dev's 434-wicket mark in the recently concluded first Test against Sri Lanka. However, the off-spinner still has a long way to go to threaten Kumble's record.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra was asked about the possibility of R Ashwin going past Kumble's tally. He responded:

"In my opinion, it will be difficult, it will not happen. I am not 100% certain that it is possible because we do not play too much Test cricket. In whatever we play, we need to play three series away and three at home if we talk about the two-year cycle."

The former India cricketer pointed out that even if Ashwin gets to play in overseas conditions, he is unlikely to get a bucketful of wickets. Chopra elaborated:

"He is not going to get 25 wickets or so in the series away from home, he will get very limited wickets. How many chances he will get to play, I am not a 100% certain either."

Ashwin was benched for the entire Test series against England last year. He did get to play all three Tests against South Africa in Ravindra Jadeja's absence but was found slightly wanting.

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"How will R Ashwin get so many wickets?" - Aakash Chopra

R Ashwin picked up 54 Test wickets in 2021

While highlighting that R Ashwin is unlikely to play the remaining Test against England, Aakash Chopra added that the off-spinner might not get too many long Test series in India either. He explained:

"When you go to England now, you will see Jaddu playing ahead of him. So he will not play there at all. When he will not play, how will he pick up wickets? There is no guarantee in India as well because there are a lot of two-Test series also, then how will he get so many wickets?"

The 44-year-old concluded by saying that Ashwin has a remote chance of surpassing Kumble. Chopra observed:

"He still needs 180-odd wickets from here, it is not going to be easy, that's what I feel. You get 50 to 60 wickets in a year, if he has three to four very good years, there is an outside chance it might happen. But we really don't know."

It would certainly be a tall ask for Ashwin to challenge Kumble's record. The 35-year-old does not have age on his side and has faced some fitness-related challenges as well in recent times.