Ashwin, Jadeja rested for T20s

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra and off-break bowler Parvez Rasool were picked as replacements for the series beginning Thursday. 

“The All-India Senior Selection committee in consultation with Team India management has decided to rest spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja from the Paytm T20I series against England,” the BCCI said in a statement. The Cricket Board added, “Amit Mishra and Parvez Rasool will replace Ashwin and Jadeja, with the first match to be played on January 26th at Kanpur.” 

India will play three T20Is against England on January 26 (Kanpur), January 29 (Nagpur) and February 1 (Bangalore). Ashwin claimed 27 and 28 wickets respectively in India’s 3-0 sweep of New Zealand and 4-0 victory over England in the five-Test series, while Jadeja finished with 26 scalps against England and 14 against New Zealand. 

The 34-year-old Mishra last played against New Zealand in October, when he finished with figures of 5 for 18 in the fifth and final ODI. He was in the squad for the three-match ODI series against England but didn’t get a game. Rasool, the offspinner, who played his only ODI in 2014 and hasn’t played a T20I to date, was selected on the basis of his impressive performance in the Ranji Trophy. 

Following the 3-0 series win over New Zealand in the Test series last year, both Ashwin and Jadeja were not picked for the subsequent ODI series in order to keep them fresh for the five Tests against England.