Ravichandaran Ashwin was deeply moved and filled with gratitude after he was feted for reaching the 500-wicket mark in Tests on Saturday, recalling 13 One person he will always be “grateful” to for showing faith in a “nobody” – his first IPL and Team India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni – was the man he will always be “grateful” to. With 516 scalps in 100 Tests, Ashwin is a true superstar of Indian cricket, trailing only the great Arnie in the five-day list of the best seamers in Indian cricket. Anil Kumble.
But that was not the case in 2008, when he was hired as a local spinner by the Chennai Super Kings. He didn’t get a match that year as the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan led their spin attack.
In the 2011 IPL final against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Dhoni bowled Ashwin with the new ball and the then rookie spinner was in action on the fourth ball, dismissing the in-form Chris Gayle.
In the same year, he made his India debut under Dhoni and won the Man of the Match honors against West Indies in Delhi.
“In 2008, I met all the great players Mathew Hayden and MS Dhoni (in the CSK dressing room). I played in the 2008 (IPL). I was a nobody then and I was able to play in To play in a team that has Muttiah Muralitharan?” Ashwin said. The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association held a grand ceremony for his rare achievement. His The voice was full of emotion.
“I will be grateful to Dhoni for the rest of my life for everything he gave me. He gave me a chance to go head-to-head with Chris Gayle with the new ball and 17 years later Anil bhai will be talking about the same episode,” he recalled fondly.
That magical Chepauk night with the Chennai Super Kings was just the beginning for Ashwin. With several current and former stars paying tribute to him, Ashwin was understandably overwhelmed.
“I don’t usually look for words to express how I feel. I’m really humbled and grateful to be here,” he quipped.
The 37-year-old Chennai man is one of the best minds in the game and has found a way to constantly reinvent himself to create a bag of wickets in the longest format.
He describes himself as being argumentative, but only in pursuit of new perspectives.
“Anil bhai and Rahul (Dravid) bhai briefly mentioned that it is very difficult to win arguments with me. This is true because I believe that arguments are one of the best paths to excellence.
“Arguments are never personal. There is always real learning at the end of an argument,” he said, while Kumble watched from the stage.
Ashwin also thanked the many Tamil Nadu greats who were present, including his first first-class captain S Badrinath and former batsman S Sharath, The latter is now the Indian selector.
Ashwin was especially lethal against left-handers and he recalled how Sarath helped him become a better bowler against left-handers.
“A lot of people are talking about how I tormented left-handers day in and day out. My first tryst with a left-hander, Mr S Sharath was sitting in front. I was told that if you are a good left-hander, try and get this guy out .
“I did get him out once but I played a few more games with Sharath and he never bowled to me again. Such was the quality of a batsman he was. I bowled to him so often that it became A better pitcher for lefties.
Ashwin’s commitment to Tamil Nadu and club cricket is so great that he has so far been able to play in domestic events when he is not on national duty.
“This place has given me a lot and I want to keep coming back here. People keep asking you why you want to go back.
“Tomorrow, I may not be alive but my soul will linger in this place. That’s what this place means to me,” Ashwin added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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