'A spinner or Mayank Yadav might take his place' - Ravichandran Ashwin on India's 4th T20I changes

Ravichandran Ashwin has suggested that India could make changes to their playing XI for the fourth T20I against New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland on Friday, October 30. India has already secured the five-match T20I series with comprehensive victories in the first three encounters, giving the Gautam Gambhir-led team management an opportunity to test fringe players in the remaining matches.

While Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav have not featured in any match so far on the tour, Ashwin cautioned the Indian team against bringing spinners directly to the smaller grounds in New Zealand. The former India spinner opined that one of the two spinners or even Mayank Yadav could replace Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has not had an ideal comeback to international cricket after nearly four years away from the team.

"We can also rotate the way New Zealand are doing. But before you look to do that, we must keep in mind that the first two games were on a big ground where you could have used spinners. In the third T20I, even New Zealand's spinners were of no use," Ashwin said on 'Ash ki Baat'.

"In the next two games, the grounds will be even smaller. So I am not sure if spinners can play there. But the way Bhuvi has bowled, a spinner or Mayank might take his place, and I will not be surprised," he added.

Why might India rotate their playing XI?

Ashwin's assessment of ground conditions and Bhuvneshwar Kumar's recent performances formed the basis of his rotation suggestion. The smaller venues in the remaining matches present a different challenge compared to the earlier stages of the series. Ashwin's caution about spinner deployment reflects the practical realities of playing in New Zealand's compact grounds, where pace and bounce often dominate over spin-friendly conditions.

Mayank Yadav, the right-arm fast bowler, made his T20I debut on October 6, 2024 against Bangladesh. The 24-year-old has featured in six T20I matches so far, claiming nine wickets in those appearances. His last T20I outing came in the first game against New Zealand. However, he was replaced by Prince Yadav from the second T20I onwards.