Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes the Indian team should consider having separate squads for Tests, ODIs and T20Is. Ashwin said there could still be a few players who feature across formats, but having different teams could help India manage players better and reduce the workload on them.
He also felt there needs to be greater accountability when it comes to injury management, especially after Varun Chakravarthy’s repeated injury setbacks.
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“I think the time has come to make separate teams for Tests, ODIs and T20Is. There might be cross-pollination of one or two players. I think somewhere down the line there has to be accountability for injury management with the players,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin Raises Questions Over Chakravarthy’s Injury Management
Chakravarthy has had a difficult year with injuries. He was ruled out of the Asian Games and India’s home series against the West Indies after picking up an injury during the opening T20I against Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan match was also his first appearance after recovering from an injury he suffered during India’s England tour.
Ashwin pointed out that Chakravarthy had spent several months at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), now known as the Centre of Excellence, during his recovery.
“I know that Varun Chakravarthy was at the NCA for the last 3-4 months. We were asking for permission for TNPL and they didn’t release him. He should have returned in a month, but he was there for 2-3 months,” Ashwin said.
Chakravarthy also faced multiple injury problems during the 2026 Indian Premier League season.
Ashwin Recalls His Own Injury Experience
Ashwin also spoke about an injury he suffered more than a decade ago while doing Olympic lifting.
The former India cricketer said he suffered a side strain in 2015 and eventually stopped doing snatches despite the benefits of Olympic lifting.
“As a player, you also have to see that your training method is correct. Am I doing the right exercises? The only side strain I got in 2015 was due to Olympic lifting. After that, I stopped snatching,” Ashwin said.
He added that Olympic lifting can help improve speed and power, but players also need to understand whether a particular exercise is suitable for their bodies.
“You can certainly be faster with Olympic lifting; your power production also increases, but if you have an injury that doesn’t suit you, the player should also watch what he is doing,” he added.
Chakravarthy’s Asian Games Plans Scrapped
Chakravarthy was initially ruled out of the remainder of the Afghanistan T20I series. He was then expected to travel with the Indian team for the Asian Games. However, those plans were later abandoned after his injury concerns continued, as the BCCI announced Vipraj Nigam as his replacement for the multinational event taking place in Japan.