Ashwin throws his weight behind Rinku Singh after India batsman batted at No.8 in crushing defeat against South Africa

The former offspinner couldn't understand why even Washington Sundar batted ahead of him.

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is stunned that Rinku Singh came into bat at No.8 against South Africa in their Super 8 T20 World Cup encounter at Ahmedabad on Sunday night. It was India's worst defeat by runs in the history of the T20 World Cup. They fell 76 runs short of South Africa's 187/7.

Rinku Singh has not had much confidence from the current team management from day one. (PTI)

If truth be told, Rinku is a proper batsman. But Gambhir Gambhir and company has shown unwillingness to treat him as per his credentials right from day one. Against the Proteas, Shivam Dube and even Washington Sundar were sent into bat ahead of him. Having early lost early wickets inside the Powerplay, India desperately needed a specialist batsman out there in the middle who could rebuild the innings, not allrounders. Ideally, India should refrain from even sending Hardik Pandya ahead of him. Rinku lasted just two balls as spinner Keshav Maharaj dispatched him for a duck.

While Ashwin didn't say as much, on the point of Sundar sent ahead of Rinku, he didn't mince words. "If you have eight batters and one of them is Rinku Singh, he cannot be coming in at eight. No disrespect to Sundar. He is a fabulous batter. We know his batting skills. But for a starter, South Africa has given us a lesson that please do not come underprepared for such games. We were underprepared," Ashwin said on his YouTube podcast.

Not fair to Washington Sundar either!

"I would have loved to see Rinku Singh walking in at five. I think they were looking at Washi [Washington Sundar] as a like-for-like replacement for Axar. But experience counts for something, someone who has been there and done it. Axar has been there, handled pressure, and done it. Number five in such a high-pressure game was too much to ask of Washi.

"Rinku was at eight, and the game was already done. There was no use of his coming and batting there. We have taken a slight hit. We have to be a little sensible. Going forward, most teams will want India to chase. That is the biggest challenge if teams come planned well," Ashwin added more meat to his argument.

India now face Zimbabwe in Chennai on Thursday. After their biggest defeat in T20 World Cup history, they now can't afford to have another bad at the office. It will pretty much bring curtains on their campaign.