India is set to play a six-match white-ball series against West India, which will begin on February 6. The series, which will feature three One-Day Internationals and as many Twenty-20 Internationals, is scheduled to welcome new skipper Rohit Sharma, who missed the previous SA series due to a hamstring injury. Ravi Ashwin, the ace spinner, is set to miss the home series against WI, according to the latest reports.
It should be noted that Ashwin has recently returned to India's white-ball squad, and his performance in the T20 World Cup 2021 was appreciated. However, the ace spinner is undergoing treatment that would keep him out of action for at least three weeks.
The squad for the West Indies series was supposed to be announced on January 25, but it was postponed due to the absence of Rahul Dravid and a few selectors. In terms of Ashwin, the management is keen to control his workload so that he does not miss any major Test series. The senior bowler is likely to return in time for the Sri Lanka series in February and March.
Many experts believe Ashwin isn't the best fit for limited-overs cricket and should only be used in Tests. Sanjay Manjrekar said that India had to pay a price for including him in the ODI series.
"For some reason, Ashwin has returned in India's ODI preparations. That cost India a lot of money. He just played in two critical games and didn't do much else. (Yuzvendra) Chahal is also being questioned. Prasidh Krishna requires a little more support. Mohammed Shami can also be a decent choice in 50-overs," Manjrekar had stated.
The ODIs against the West Indies will be held in Ahmedabad, while the three T20Is will begin on February 16 in Kolkata.