Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has raised concerns over playing conditions following India’s dominant win over New Zealand in the second T20I. While India successfully chased down a massive 209-run target in just 15.2 overs, Ashwin warned that dew in the second innings can heavily favour batters and make life unfair for bowlers.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin lauded the innings of Ishan Kishan (76 off 32) and Suryakumar Yadav (82* off 37) for their explosive partnership of 122 runs in eight overs. He also praised Kuldeep Yadav’s spell of 2/35 in four overs, noting the skill required to bowl effectively in challenging conditions.

However, Ashwin emphasised that dew makes gripping the ball difficult, affects precision, and can turn matches into contests heavily influenced by conditions rather than skill. He pointed out that such factors increase the significance of the toss, potentially dictating outcomes unfairly. “Skill should be at the fore,” he said, urging that the Indian leg of the T20 World Cup 2026 take dew into account when scheduling matches and selecting venues.

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He added that afternoon games or venues with minimal dew would help maintain fairness for bowlers, particularly young players who might otherwise be judged harshly if they concede runs under adverse conditions. Ashwin noted that while dew may not impact teams like New Zealand significantly, it can unfairly penalise Indian bowlers.

Despite his concerns, Ashwin acknowledged the brilliance of India’s batting effort, highlighting Ishan and Surya’s ability to turn the match in India’s favour and Shivam Dube’s quick cameo of 36* off 18 balls that sealed the victory. The former spinner concluded that while skill prevailed in this game, careful consideration of playing conditions is crucial to preserve the integrity of the sport.

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