After his heroics in the India vs England Test series, Ravichandran Ashwin will be expected to show his magic in the IPL too. During the course of the Test series, Ashwin played his 100th Test and also picked his 500th wicket in the format, the second Indian to do so. Now Ashwin will be playing for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. He along with Yuzvendra Chahal are a potent spin force.
Before things get serious in the IPL, Ashwin engaged in a hilarious chat with the parody account of actress Janhvi Kapoor.
It all started with Ashwin replying on a post on X by Ravindra Jadeja. “Jaddu! I couldn’t control my surprise and laughter through and through your message,” Ashwin wrote in reply to “Did you like my Tamil” post by his Indian cricket teammate.
In reply to that post, a X user with the display name “Janhvi kapoor(Parody)”, having a following of over 10000, wrote: “Very nice Aswin”
To which, Ashwin wrote: “Hey Janhvi”
One X user then said: “its parody anna…..reply here….”
“Omg . Is that so? I am heartbroken (in emoji),” replied Ashwin.
“Sir nan fake account” the X user with the display name “Janhvi kapoor(Parody)” said then.
To which, Ashwin said: “U shouldn’t say it, cos it says parody and the fun is to interact as if you are real.”
U shouldn’t say it, cos it says parody and the fun is to interact as if you are real.
— Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) March 18, 2024
With 516 scalps in 100 Tests, Ashwin is a bonafide superstar in Indian cricket, just second behind the great Anil Kumble in the list of top Indian wicket-takers in the five-day format.
But it was not the case back in 2008 when he was roped in as a local spinner by Chennai Super Kings. He did not get a game that year as the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan led their spin attack.
Dhoni flung the new ball to Ashwin in the 2011 IPL final against Royal Challengers Bangalore and the then rookie off-spinner made an impact in the fourth ball itself, dismissing an in-form Chris Gayle.
The same year he made his India debut under Dhoni, picking up the player of the match honours in the game against the West Indies in Delhi.
“In 2008 I met all the greats (in CSK dressing room) Mathew Hayden and MS Dhoni. I sat through (IPL) 2008. I was a nobody then, where am I to play in a team that had Muttiah Muralitharan,” said Ashwin, who was felicitated by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association in a grand ceremony for his rare achievements, in a dipped-in-emotion voice.
“I am indebted to Dhoni for the rest of my life for what he gave me. He gave me an opportunity with the new ball to go head on with Chris Gayle and 17 years later Anil bhai would be talking about the same episode,” he fondly recalled.
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