Ravichandran Ashwin (PTI Photo) Ravichandran Ashwin categorically dismissed the growing chatter around India regarding two separate T20I sides, stressing that the Indian cap must retain its value and cannot be given away randomly.He talks on his show Ash Ki BaatAshwin addressed reports suggesting that India could split the squads due to overlapping commitments – notably the T20I series against the West Indies cricket team (October 6-17) and the Asian Games (September 19-October 6). The idea of sending in a second string, potentially comprising emerging IPL names like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, did not sit well with the veteran off-spinner.
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Matthew Hayden reacts after Gujarat Titans’ defeat against Mumbai Indians“So what is the value of an Indian cap? What respect will it have? You need a moment of pride to wear an Indian cap. Why do you play cricket? Because you represent so much of the Indian public, they watch, everyone praises our cricket and you want to debut in front of your fans and play all formats. All of that definitely plays on the mind. Now it often happens when people forget somewhere, when other people debut.”Instead, he advocated strengthening the India A pathway to nurture talent without diluting the prestige of the senior team. “India caps have to have value. If you want to get exposure, send them on India A tours. You can’t just give away caps around India. Also broadcast India A tours, people will watch and be entertained. But you can’t distribute caps around India for free. It has to be appreciated,” he added.Despite the long-term focus on the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, India’s post-IPL schedule remains packed with T20 cricket. The international season begins with a one-off Test and three ODIs against the Afghanistan national cricket team from June 6 to 20.This will be followed by a short trip to Ireland from June 26-28 for two T20Is, before a full tour of England with five T20Is between July 1-11 and a three-match ODI series to follow.India will then head to Zimbabwe for a three-match T20I series from July 23-26. Later in the year, it will host the West Indies cricket team for three ODIs followed by five T20Is between October 6 and 17.The year ends with a home series against the Sri Lankan national cricket team, where India will play three ODIs and three T20Is from December 13 to 27, rounding off a busy white-ball calendar.
