The former India batter said selecting Ashwin for Windies tour was a smart choice

Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has picked India's spinners for the T20 World Cup, saying that he is quite confident that Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal will be part of the travelling squad.

Ashwin was part of the last World Cup but didn't get to play a lot of games. He made a comeback into the T20I squad during the ongoing West Indies tour and has done quite well.

Speaking on Sports18's show 'Sports Over The Top', as quoted by Hindustan Times, Manjrekar said that Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav would be the main competitors for Ravichandran Ashwin to get a spot in the playing XI.

"Who are his competitors now? You've got Chahal who's confirmed for spinner on current form. Then you've got Axar Patel, you've got Jadeja who could do a bit of bowling. Hooda bowled one over in the last game, then you've got Kuldeep Yadav, you've got Ravichandran Ashwin," said Manjrekar.

Manjrekar also said that Ashwin's selection for the West Indies tour was an excellent decision. He also said the 35-year-old has started to making an impact.

"I think Ashwin's selection on this tour was an excellent one. In the last couple of years in the Indian T20 league, Ashwin has started making an impact," said Manjrekar.

The former India batter also said the combination of Ashwin and Chahal is working well for India at the moment as the latter is taking the pressure away from the former.

"I like Ashwin when he's with somebody like Chahal. So, the onus is not on Ashwin to change the tide. You know, the spinner's job in T20 cricket, in the middle phase is to get wickets like Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj do for South Africa. That's where Ashwin lacked a bit as a T20 spinner. He focused a lot on the economy, but when you have somebody like Chahal, or if there's another wicket-taking wrist spinner, then Ashwin becomes a great compliment because Ashwin has mastered the art of being economical in T20 cricket. In the first T20, a couple of wickets was a great sign, but that's what you'll get with Ashwin, that compliment to the other main wicket-taking spinner in the team," said Manjrekar.

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