Varun Aaron and Ravichandran Ashwin weigh in on India's tactics after West Indies chase 250 in Ranchi

Aaron said Mayank Yadav should have bowled the 18th over, while Ashwin praised the West Indies' tour performance.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 10 Oct 2026 12:46:55 GMT

India lost the second T20I against the West Indies by six wickets in Ranchi on October 9, 2026, prompting former players to comment on the team's tactics.

What happened

India posted 249‑5 after batting first at the JSCA International Stadium Complex. West Indies chased the target in 18.3 overs, with Shai Hope scoring an unbeaten 102 off 45 balls and Sherfane Rutherford adding 84 off 37. The visitors secured a six‑wicket win with nine balls to spare, leveling the three‑match series at 1‑1.

What the reports add

Sportskeeda quoted former RCB pacer Varun Aaron saying that India erred by handing the crucial 18th over to Arshdeep Singh instead of Mayank Yadav, who had taken three wickets earlier in the match. Aaron argued that "Mayank should have bowled that over" because India needed wickets at that stage.

The same outlet also reported former India all‑rounder Ravichandran Ashwin’s view that the West Indies have "already accomplished more on this tour than they have in many years," noting the Caribbean side’s strong performance despite a relatively inexperienced squad.

What was said

Varun Aaron told Sportskeeda, "I really thought Mayank should have bowled that over… At that point, India needed wickets. They didn't need to really pull back the run scoring. And Mayank was amongst the wickets."

Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, "In my books, the West Indies have already accomplished more on this tour than they have in many years, especially considering that this is a team that lacks experience."

How it came about

The T20I series follows a three‑match ODI series between the two sides that began on September 27, 2026, and a preceding T20 series that started on October 6 in Lucknow, where India opted to rest fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and rely on pacers such as Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav and Mayank Yadav. Earlier Felo coverage highlighted India’s selection strategy ahead of the series (Karthik on India’s fast‑bowling focus) and the debate over Auqib Nabi’s ODI readiness (Aakash Chopra on Nabi).

Key facts

India posted 249‑5 and West Indies chased it in 18.3 overs to win by six wickets (sportskeeda.com)
Shai Hope scored 102* off 45 balls and Sherfane Rutherford 84 off 37 (sportskeeda.com)
Varun Aaron said Mayank Yadav should have bowled the 18th over (sportskeeda.com)
Ravichandran Ashwin praised West Indies' tour achievements despite inexperience (sportskeeda.com)