Former Indian cricketer Akash Chopra feels that spinner Ravichandran Ashwin cannot be trusted to take the wicket in the shortest format as the bowler can fail at times. While praising Ashwin for his performance after the T20 World Cup 2021, Chopra said the off-spinner will play the role of a defensive bowler to perfection, but was skeptical about his performance when the team took wickets from him. Ashwin returned to the T20I format after eight months and has since taken three wickets in as many matches.

After the T20 World Cup 2021, Ashwin played five matches and picked six wickets, while in IPL 2022 he took 12 wickets from 17 matches. He won a T20I call-up for India's five-match T20I series against the West Indies and was later named in India's Asia Cup squad. The tournament begins on August 27 in the United Arab Emirates.

"Ravichandran Ashwin - suddenly he was the pick of the box even in the last World Cup. He also went to the West Indies here before the World Cup and now he is in the Asia Cup team, he will play again in the World Cup, it seems," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“When you put him in a defensive role, he absolutely does it. What role you define for him, that is very important for me. I think it's not about who is good or who is bad but the point is what sort of a spinner you need," added Chopra.

In the Asia Cup, India will square off against Pakistan in their opening match on August 28 in Dubai.