"You have to play Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy together" - Indian legend makes big statement about playing XI for Asia Cup 2025

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that the Men in Blue had to play both Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy in the team at the Asia Cup 2025. The 106-Test veteran said that India did not need batting cover at number eight if the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel played alongwith the two wrist spinners in the team.

Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy played together in the later stages of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which India won without dropping a game. Ashwin said on his YouTube channel "Ash ki Baat":

“I feel sometimes we could see someone like Bumrah getting rested, some of the others could also get rested. There could be rotation. Sanju Samson could get to play a few matches. But in all seriousness, if you are playing a knockout match, I feel all the slots are filled. You have to play Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy together."

"I don’t think there is even a debate on that. They have to play. Bumrah, Arshdeep, Kuldeep, and Varun Chakravarthy, if they are your four bowlers with Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel to do the rest, that is one killer of a team. You don’t need the batting insurance at number eight.”

The management under Gautam Gambhir has preferred to opt for batting depth over selecting an additional bowling option. That line of thinking is evident in the Asia Cup 2025 squad with the likes of Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh picked over someone like a Washington Sundar, who is only a standby.

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Ravichandran Ashwin does not see Sanju Samson and Shubman Gill playing in the same XI

Ravichandran Ashwin felt that Sanju Samson and Shubman Gill could not feature in the playing XI at Asia Cup 2025. The 38-year-old felt that Samson did not have sufficient experience of batting anywhere below the number four position in the team.

Ashwin felt that Jitesh Sharma was the only option to have in the playing XI as Sanju Samson did not bat anywhere outside the top of the order.

“No, I don’t think that is possible. If Samson has to play, he has to open the batting, which looks unlikely. If he doesn’t open the batting, he has to play in the wicketkeeper-finisher role. The role that Sanju has not played so far. Till now, he has either opened the batting or batted at number three. Beyond number four, I don’t think Sanju has batted, atleast in the near past. Only one player has essayed the role of a finisher, and that is Jitesh Sharma. Jitesh Sharma is the only option for you if Sanju is not going to open the batting as a wicketkeeper-batter. I don’t think there is a debate at all there".

“The biggest question mark in my head is whether Sanju Samson will play or not. His Kerala Premier League side- Kochi Blue Tigers- won that tournament. His brother, Sally Samson, was the captain. He got good news there. Can we get some good news here? Maybe not. Shubman Gill will open the batting. Jitesh Sharma will play in the middle-order. I think bringing Sanju in the middle-order will be too much of a disturbance for Sanju himself," Ashwin said.

The former India off-spinner did not include the likes of Samson and Harshit Rana in his playing XI for Asia Cup 2025. He felt that India could consider playing Arshdeep Singh at number eight in the team.