“It is unfair to play in such conditions” - Ravi Ashwin raises a serious concern after India’s win over New Zealand in 2nd T20I

Former Indian spinner and analyst Ravi Ashwin believes that dew could kill the beauty of the game, and hopes that the Indian leg of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign wouldn’t be affected by it

Notably, Ashwin’s comments came right after India defeated New Zealand in a 209-run chase in only 15.2 overs. Despite being down at 6/2 in 1.1 overs, India went on to win the game quite comfortably, courtesy of Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shivam Dube’s commendable knocks. 

Speaking on his YouTube channel, while Ashwin lauded Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar, he was not appreciative of the largely anti-bowler conditions in the second innings, adding that the match could have been played in the afternoon.

"The games can be played in the afternoon. Teams like New Zealand will not bother because they don't have many bowlers and they know that in such conditions, nothing can be done. But in teams like India, if a player has not done well in two games and comes and bowls in such conditions in the third game and goes for runs, his career will be over. It is unfair to play in such conditions," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

"How will you fight such conditions as a bowler? We can plan better. If there is dew, at least play in the day. Or choose different venues. Other countries have a record of conditions, how the wicket will react, par scores etc for every ground. We must also have such records," he added.

Furthermore, Ashwin hoped that in the Indian leg of the upcoming showpiece event, due diligence would be taken regarding the dew on the picked venues, adding that if dew is present, the toss’ importance would increase. 

"I really hope that the India leg matches of the T20 World Cup are not affected by dew. If it is, skill will go out of the window. I sincerely hope there is a little more due diligence on the dew factor in these venues. Once it comes in, you are dependent on the toss a lot. I don't want to see a multi-nation World Cup that will be dictated to a certain degree by dew. Skill should be at the fore," he concluded.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at BetBarter and download the BetBarter app to start betting today!