'Happiness and gratitude define me right now': Ashwin reacts after being named in T20 World Cup squad

Ashwin took to Twitter and expressed his joy of being named in the T20 World Cup squad which also marked his first white-ball selection since 2017.

There were several speculations about the combination with which India would participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the UAE and Oman. However, the 15-member squad announced by the BCCI on Wednesday night took everyone was surprise.

R Ashwin: File photo (Getty)

Some of the prominent players, like Shikhar Dhawan, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, missed the bus. But the inclusion of ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and appointment of former captain MS Dhoni as the mentor of the team created a massive buzz among the cricket fans and set social media ablaze.

Meanwhile, Ashwin also took to Twitter and expressed his joy of being named in the T20 World Cup squad which also marked his first white-ball selection since 2017.

The 34-year-old, who is currently part of the Test squad that is playing against England in an ongoing five-match series, shared a picture on his handle, and wrote, “I wrote this quote down a million times in my diary before putting this up on the wall! Quotes that we read and admire have more power when we internalise them and apply in life. Happiness and gratitude are the only 2 words that define me now.”

“Every tunnel has light at the end of it but only those in the tunnel who believe in the light will live to see it,” read the quote in a picture that he shared.

Despite over 400 Test wickets to his name, Ashwin has not been played in the ongoing series leading to speculation about the reasons.

Skipper Virat Kohli hasn't been able to clearly explain his non-selection and there have been murmurs of tension building up in the Indian camp because of it.

Ashwin's last limited-overs outing was during a tour of the West Indies and he has 52 wickets from 46 T20 International outings in his career.

(With PTI Inputs)