New Delhi: Ravichandran Ashwin has retired. Ravindra Jadeja it is about to end its career. Axar Patel has his bite, Kuldeep Yadav his magic, Varun Chakravarthy his secret, and Washington Sundar he can have a very good bowler. India’s famous spin factory shows alarming signs of drying up, and the cupboard suddenly seems empty. When searching for wicket bowls, there are several satisfactory options. Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, despite bowling three no-balls in the second T20I against England and being ruled out for the remainder of the match, has been named as Varun Chakravarthy’s replacement for the tour of Zimbabwe.The mystery was raised when the selectors chose the 33-year-old Madhya Pradesh Saransh Jain and Uttar Pradesh leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansariwho have not played a first-class match in six years, in India’s A group on the tour of Sri Lanka.Indian times. com can confirm that Jain got his choice after impressing the former Indian Harbhajan Singh at a special camp for out-spinners held at the BCCI Center of Excellence in March. Zeeshan, meanwhile, caught the eye of head coach Gautam Gambhir in Chandigarh, where he was one of the seven bowlers with the Indian team ahead of the one-Test against Afghanistan. With few proven options left, India’s spin department looks worryingly thin.Conflict between Ireland and EnglandIndia’s 6-0 defeat in the T20I series against Ireland and England has alarm bells ringing in the team’s performance.In T20 cricket, the 7 to 15 overs are often described as the intellectual heart of the game. This is where a good attack disrupts coordination, slows down scoring and forces batsmen to make mistakes. Indian spinners have not done the same in recent weeks.
India’s Axar Patel reacts after being hit for a six during the first IT20 match between Ireland and India at the Civil Service Cricket Club on June 26, 2026 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
In the first T20I against Ireland, the bowlers were reeling at 51 for 4 in 7.1 overs. What followed was a 64-run stand from just 44 balls between Lorcan Tucker and Gareth Delany that completely changed the look of the innings. India managed just one wicket between the 7th and 15th overs, a phase where spinners are expected to squeeze runs and pick up wickets. Axar Patel eventually finished with 2 for 33, but both of his wickets came in the 18th and 20th overs, long after Ireland had built up. Washington Sundar, meanwhile, produced 19 runs in an hour, easing the pressure once more.The second T20I followed a similar pattern. Ireland were 48 for 3 after 7.3 overs, but Harry Tector and Ben Calitz added 65 runs in 43 balls for the fourth wicket. Axar Patel, India’s lone spinner in the match, returned figures of 0 for 28 from four overs but could not get the win India needed.England did this very ruthlessly. In the second T20I, England were reduced to 51 for 3 in 4.4 overs. Again, India failed to spend. Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton stitched a partnership of 67 off 50 balls, and took the match away.
India’s Varun Chakravarthy tries to catch
India’s spin trio of Ravi Bishnoi (0 for 60), Axar Patel (1 for 20) and Varun Chakravarthy (1 for 37) have scored 117 runs in their combined 12 overs while managing just two wickets. Interestingly, India scored one wicket between the 7th and 15th overs, allowing England to command the middle order.The third T20I provided little change. India got three wickets between the 7th and 15th overs, but none of them won. Axar Patel (1 for 49) and Varun Chakravarthy (0 for 35) combined for just one wicket in seven overs, and even that came out of an important rebuilding phase.By the fourth T20I, England did not need to discuss the middle order. Chasing a low target, he finished the match in 13.5 overs, making India’s attack irrelevant. Axar Patel (0 for 24) and Washington Sundar (0 for 19) remained unbeaten as they scored 43 runs in just three overs.The fifth T20I was perhaps the most dangerous. England piled on 257 for 3, with Axar Patel, India’s lone spinner, enduring the most expensive spell of his T20I career, scoring 63 runs in four wicketless overs.
We have a good group of fast bowlers who can hit the right spots and create chances with the old ball, although there is not much support from the wicket or the conditions.
Shubman Gill Test and ODI captain
Not looking good in ODIsIn ODIs as well, one of India’s biggest concerns in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup has been their inability to bat in the middle overs.This trend has been reflected in recent competitions.Against Australia, India managed just four wickets in this phase in three ODIs, while New Zealand exposed the problem as India failed between Rajkot and Indore, losing both matches.
India’s Kuldeep Yadav reacts after tossing the ball during the second ODI cricket match between India and Afghanistan in Lucknow, India, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
South Africa provided relief, with Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna sharing nine wickets in three matches.The Afghanistan series produced mixed returns, with India taking five wickets between Dharamsala and Lucknow but only one in Chennai. And Kuldeep seems to be going down, captain Shubman Gill they believe the answer lies in tall bowlers like Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana and Gurnoor Brar, whose leaps can create opportunities even on flat pitches.
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“We have a good group of fast bowlers who can hit the right spots and create gaps with the old ball, even if there is not much support from the wicket or the conditions,” Gill said after the Chennai ODI.The concern is not only about form, but about sequence. Over the years, India have been able to rely on a belt of match-winning spinners to dominate the game across all formats. Today, the production line seems to be very dry. With the 2027 ODI World Cup and next year’s T20 World Cup fast approaching, India’s challenge is not only to revive the existing crop but to ensure that the next generation can make the team a major asset instead of a weak one.
