New Delhi: Over the past two cycles, Ashwin has continued to be India's leading wicket-taker in the WTC final. He took 61 wickets in the just finished edition, earning him the top spot among bowlers in the ICC Test rankings.

Since the heartbreak in the World Test Championship final, it has been more than a fortnight. But the hurt is still very much present, particularly for Ravichandran Ashwin, who was initially passed over for the playing XI by the team management and then had to witness his team lose by a decisive score of 209 runs as Australia won the match.

India's search for another ICC championship was even longer with the defeat, which was the team's second straight loss in a WTC final.The usual overseas debate led to India opting for an extra seamer over Ashwin in the final, which later backfired.

Under Kohli, India lost the 2017 Champions Trophy (final), the 2019 World Cup (semifinal) and the 2021 WTC (final). They have, lost the 2022 T20 World Cup and 2023 WTC final under Rohit Sharma, barring the 2022 Asia Cup.

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The Indian squad lost yet another opportunity to end their ICC trophy drought, and Ashwin discussed the social media comments. Most of the remarks praised Dhoni, who had guided India to three ICC trophy victories. The 36-year-old cricketer argued that the players in the chosen group felt secure under Dhoni, which contributed to their success.

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Ashwin said “It is understandable that there's a furore in India that we haven't won an ICC trophy in 10 years. I empathise with the fans. But the reaction on social media is that this player should be dropped and that player should be included. But quality of a player doesn't change overnight. Lot of us talk about MS Dhoni's leadership. What did he do? He kept it very simple. Under his regime, where I also played, he will pick a squad of 15. The same squad of 15 and the XI will play throughput the year. That sense of security is very important for a player”.

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