Ashwin names this player as ‘backbone’ of India’s batting and it’s not Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, or SKY

Veteran spinner R Ashwin has said that India will miss the services of star wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant during the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy but India has the player to fulfill the role played by Pant. Notably, Ashwin did not name skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli as the “backbone” of India’s batting order. The veteran off-spinner also did not name young opener Shubman Gill or middle-order batsman Suryakumar Yadav as ‘go-to batter’ for India.

Ashwin, speaking on his YouTube channel, praised middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer, and said that the young batter has been the “go-to batter” for India alongside Pant.

 “Shreyas Iyer has been India’s go-to Test batter alongside Rishabh Pant in the last couple of years. That in itself is a lesser compliment for him. He has been the backbone of this batting order. He is going to be a crucial player for India in Pant’s absence,” he said.

According to reports, Iyer will not be able to play in the first Test against Australia due to back injury. The first Test of Border-Gavaskar Trophy will start in Nagpur on February 9. It may be recalled that Iyer had remained out of action during the entire white-ball series against New Zealand due to the back injury.

Ashwin gave on Iyer’s health and said, “He has a problem in his back and has taken an injection, it seems.”

Iyer made his India debut in 2021 and has scored 624 runs with a century and five fifties in his seven Test appearances for India.