Washington Sundar in action during the IPL T20 match between Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on May 3, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji

R. Ashwin celebrating during a Tata IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

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Legendary India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has put out a bold claim regarding who he believes could become the “poster boy” of Pakistan cricket. Pakistan are the hosts of the Champions Trophy 2025, and it marks the first time the nation is hosting a major ICC event in nearly three decades. Ahead of the tournament, Ashwin singled out one player to star for the hosts during the event. The twist is, it wasn’t star batter Babar Azam or captain and wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan.

Instead, Ashwin stated that 31-year-old all-rounder Salman Ali Agha could end up surpassing the legacy of Babar and Rizwan.

“I am excited about two players. Tayyab Tahir and Salman Ali Agha. What a player Salman Agha is. He has quality and pressure-handling ability,” Ashwin said, speaking on his Hindi-language YouTube channel ‘Ash ki Baat‘.

Ashwin pointed out the qualities that Salman Ali Agha has as to why he thinks he could become a huge player for Pakistan.

“I am seeing a Pakistani player with on-field presence for the first time in many years. I really hope he does not go like some of the other players did. He could become the poster boy for Pakistan cricket. I believe he has so much ability that he can surpass Babar Azam and Rizwan,” Ashwin added.

In 34 ODIs for Pakistan, Agha has smashed 957 runs at an average of over 45. He has also taken 16 wickets, making him a potent all-round option for them.

Recently, Agha slammed 134 and masterminded a chase of 353 for Pakistan against South Africa.

“I am not sure about his exact age but I am a fan of his game. He has the skill to play all kinds of shots,” Ashwin stated.

Salman Ali Agha made his debut for Pakistan in Tests and ODIs only in 2022, but has now established himself as arguably their most important player for team balance. Agha has also hit three centuries in 21 Test matches for Pakistan, whilst also picking up 19 wickets.

Pakistan face New Zealand, India and Bangladesh during the Champions Trophy 2025, with the game against India happening in Dubai.

Pakistan started the Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a 60-run loss against New Zealand in Karachi on Wednesday. Chasing a huge 321-run target, Pakistan’s chase never really took off as the top-order batters played painfully slow knocks. In the first 10 overs, Pakistan scored just 22/2 with Babar Azam on 12* (27b) and Mohammad Rizwan on 3* (14b). In 15 overs, Pakistan reached 49/2 with Babar on 22* (37b) and in 20 overs, they scored just 66/2. The run-scoring pace only picked up when Salman Agha came to the crease. He played a fluent knock (42, 28b).

Ravichandran Ashwin took note of Babar’s knock and said it reminded him of “The Tortoise and Rabbit story”. 

Babar’s journey to 50 coupled with Salman Ali Agha’s batting has to be the best depiction of ” The Tortoise and Rabbit story” . #ChampionsTrophy

The 50 I hope will come soon enough

— Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) February 19, 2025

Sluggishness and conservative are two words, that could define Pakistan’s run-chase of 321 runs against New Zealand in their ICC Champions Trophy campaign opener as the defending champions were downed by 60 runs at Karachi on Wednesday.

This is NZ’s fourth win against Pakistan in the CT, and it has never lost a match against the defending champions. Things are not looking good for Pakistan, as their next match against arch-rivals India will be a virtual knockout. Saud Shakeel, skipper Mohammed Rizwan, and Babar Azam’s slow knocks let down their team badly.

In a run chase of 321 runs, Pakistan was off to a poor start as Saud Shakeel fell to Will O’Rourke for 6 (in 19 balls) after a thick edge off his bat went to Matt Henry at third man. Pakistan was 8/1 in 3.4 overs.

Pakistan skipper Mohammed Rizwan and Babar Azam joined forces, playing some really conservative cricket to end the first 10 overs at 22/2, with skipper Rizwan being removed thanks to a stunning diving effort by Glenn Phillips for 3 (14), giving O’Rourke his second scalp.

Babar was joined by Fakhar Zaman, with the latter bringing some fine shots to use. Thanks to a four by Babar, Pakistan reached the 50-run mark in 15.2 overs.

Fakhar was trying to show some intent, but a ball by Michael Bracewell deceived him, cleaning his stumps. Pakistan was 67/3 in 20.5 overs.

Then came Salman Agha on the crease, contrasting his audacious hits with a conservative Babar. Pakistan reached the 100-run mark in 27.1 overs.

Agha was taking on spinners well, but Babar’s slow knock put pressure on him. He gave away his wicket to Nathan Smith for 28-ball 42, with six fours and a six. Pakistan was 127/4 in 30.4 overs.

Babar completed his 35th ODI fifty in 81 balls with five fours.

Santner also got Tayyab Tahir for 1, putting half the team in the pavillion for 128 runs. He also put Babar’s sluggish knock to an end at 90-ball 64, with six fours and a six. Pakistan was 153/6 in 34 overs.

After Babar’s dismissal, the run rate went up, with Khushdil Shah hitting some boundaries against spinners.

Khushdil helped Pakistan reach the 200-run mark in 41 overs.

Shaheen was removed by Matt Henry for 14 in 13 balls, with a six. Pakistan was 200/7 in 41 overs.

Khushdil reached his half-century in 38 balls, with six fours and a six. A 29-run stand between Shah and Haris Rauf was undone by O’Rourke, removing Shah for 69 in 49 balls, with 10 fours and six. Pakistan was 229/8 in 44 overs.

Rauf and Naseem Shah entertained the crowd with some big hits, but Santner removed Rauf for 19 in 10 balls, with three sixes. The last wicket was taken by Henry, who cleaned up Naseem Shah for 13 in 15 balls. Pakistan was skittled out for 260 runs in 47.2 overs.

O’Rourke (3/47) and Santner (3/66) were top bowlers for NZ. Matt Henry took two wickets, with Bracewell and Nathan getting a wicket each.

With ANI inputs

Rohit Sharma‘s men have some tough fixtures ahead of them as India begin their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 journey. Put in the Group A, alongside Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh, Team India needs to finish among the top two sides in order to progress to the semi-finals. While no team can be taken lightly in the competition, retired India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had some observations to share as he rated the four teams from Group A of the Champions Trophy.

Ashwin, in a video on his YouTube channel, said that he would’ve given India 90 rating points if Jasprit Bumrah was fit. But, is only giving 85 as the marquee pacer isn’t playing. Even New Zealand got 85 rating points from Ashwin.

“I’ll give them 85. I would given India a 90 had Bumrah been there because India is completely different with him in the mix. The only concern for India in my view is that all their games are in Dubai. Let’s say we lose all three tosses and are put into bat first because it’s chalk and cheese between day and night at this venue. So if opponents bat under lights, this 85 might start dropping,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

As far as the other two teams – Pakistan and Bangladesh are concerned – Ashwin only rated them 55 and 40 respectively.

With Bumrah absent, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has been backed to fill the void left by him.

Australian great Ricky Ponting will pick Arshdeep Singh over Harshit Rana for India’s Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh with the Rohit Sharma-led side hoping to fill the huge void left by injured pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. Rana has done alright in the chances he has got ahead of the ICC event but Ponting feels the left-arm pacer Arshdeep is better suited to bowl in all phases of the 50-over game.

“I would go with the left-armer and I’d go with Arshdeep (to replace Bumrah),” Ponting said on The ICC Review.

“We know how good he’s been in T20 cricket and if you think about the skill set, he probably provides a similar skill set to what Bumrah does with new ball and death overs and that’s what India will miss.

“That’s taking nothing away from Harshit Rana because I think he has got a lot of talent and we know what he can do with the new ball, but I don’t think his death skills are as good as what Arshdeep Singh’s are.”

The former Australian captain feels the presence of a left-arm fast bowler in the playing eleven is always “crucial”.

With PTI Inputs

England suffered an embarrassing 3-0 ODI series defeat and 4-1 T20I series defeat at the hands of India in their recently-concluded tour, and legendary India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has launched a scathing criticism on them. In particular, Ashwin expressed disappointment at how lightly England seemingly took the series, and also emphasized his disapproval of excuses used by England following their defeats. In particular, England opener Ben Duckett came under the hammer from Ashwin after he’d said that they don’t mind losing the series 3-0 as long as England beat India in the Champions Trophy.

“If we lose 3-0 to India, I don’t care as long as we beat them in the final in the Champions Trophy. No one will probably look back on this series if we go and do the business in that competition,” Duckett had said after the 3-0 ODI series defeat.

Ashwin sharply responded to Duckett’s statements.

“No matter what Ben Duckett says, going into the Champions Trophy this series loss will create a big dent to their confidence,” Ashwin said, speaking on his YouTube channel.

“Ben Duckett has said similar things in the past too, saying Yashasvi Jaiswal has learnt to play aggressive cricket from England’s Bazball style. I know Ben Duckett and his penchant for humour, but this was no joke and it is like you are hiding your failures behind humour,” Ashwin added.

Ashwin also criticized the fact that England players seem to look for excuses after a series defeat. He also stated that the England team has been in a slump for a fair while now.

“Your 2023 ODI World Cup was pretty bad as well. It isn’t like they are in bad form over 2-3 months. It has been the case for four years now. Despite having such a talented group they are not able to justify their potential,” Ashwin stated.

“Even in Test cricket, I read somewhere a few days ago that Ben Stokes said that he doesn’t understand the points system of the WTC. My only advice to him is that if you don’t understand the points system, then first go and understand it. This is not a joke. Every time you lose, you bring up such lame excuses,” Ashwin said.

England will face Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan in what is expected to be a closely-fought group in the Champions Trophy 2025. England finished behind all three nations at the 2023 World Cup.

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recalled MS Dhoni’s on-field tactical brilliance during the 2013 Champions Trophy final against England and said he was left surprised with the latter’s advice to get rid of Jonathan Trott. India faced host nation England in the final at Edgbaston in Birmingham, where rain interruptions curtailed the encounter to a 20-over affair. Dhoni’s captaincy shone as India defended their total of 129 runs. Recalling the former captain’s game awareness and strategic thinking, Ashwin narrated the story behind dismissing Trott during a special episode of JioHotstar’s Unbeaten: Dhoni’s Dynamites.

“I still remember Mahi bhai came up to me and said, ‘Don’t bowl over the stumps to Trott; bowl from around the wicket. He’ll try to play on the leg side, and if the ball spins, he’ll get stumped.’ I still can’t believe how he predicted that,” Ashwin said.

India’s unbeaten streak throughout the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2013 and victory against England in the final under MS Dhoni added another unforgettable chapter to its rich cricketing legacy.

Former India wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik, a key member of the squad, reflected on the team’s resilience and Dhoni’s ability to make crucial decisions under pressure.

“This was our chance to show what cricket meant to Team India. We were resilient, we fought back, and we had the mindset to never give up. England were cruising; they were almost there and could have easily crossed the line. But Dhoni made some brilliant tactical moves, and the bowlers backed him up,” Karthik said.

Former India batter and commentator Akash Chopra emphasised that the 2013 Champions Trophy was a testament to Dhoni’s leadership. “This was his tournament through and through. It had Dhoni written all over it. He had almost crafted this team in his own image and engineered victory after victory… That was a story written by the heavens,” he said.

A pivotal moment came when Dhoni brought Ishant Sharma back into the attack despite an underwhelming first spell. Following Dhoni’s advice to vary his pace with slower deliveries, Sharma took back-to-back wickets of Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara in the 17th over, swinging the match in India’s favour.

Chopra described it as one of Sharma’s most remarkable feats, praising Dhoni’s instinct for bringing out the best in his players. “That turned out to be the most magical thing Ishant has done in his life. He changed up the pace and took two crucial wickets back-to-back. That’s when you realize Dhoni has the Midas touch – whatever he touches turns to gold.”

In the final over, Dhoni made the bold decision to trust Ashwin, a spinner, to bowl the last six balls. This unexpected move paid off as Ashwin held his nerve, securing a narrow five-run victory. Chopra explained why this decision worked, noting Dhoni’s unwavering belief in Ashwin’s abilities. “Throwing the ball to a spinner in the 20th over is a huge gamble. But Dhoni had complete confidence in Ashwin – not just in his skills, but in his mindset and ability to handle pressure,” Chopra said.

Former India all-rounder Suresh Raina, another integral member of the squad, spoke about the significance of India’s undefeated run, contrasting it with their 2011 World Cup experience, where they had faced four losses. “We lost four matches in the 2011 World Cup, and it was a tough experience. But a win like this defines your career. We worked so hard, and the entire Indian team earned this honour,” Raina said.

Rohit Sharma-led India will begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20.

What makes Rohit Sharma the people’s captain? Recognised as a moder-day great, one of the most fierce openers India have ever had, Rohit has designed his own template when it comes to his approach with the bat. While results as a captain haven’t all gone in Rohit’s favour, once characteristic of his that no one can deny is his ‘selfless’ attitude. In a video that has surfaced on social media, former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin could be seen passionately describing the ‘selfless’ cricketer that Rohit is.

Over the last few years, Rohit has led by example while defining Team India’s new approach. Opening the batting for India, Rohit has tried to set a solid foundation for the team, without caring for his personal milestones. This is the character of the India skipper that Ashwin truly adores.

“One big quality of Rohit that I admire the most is that he is a selfless person. He is very selfless. If you are selfish, you won’t go out there and play freely. You won’t play aggressively. He has, so many times, not worried about landmarks and still scored big runs. I have massive respect for Rohit when it comes to that, and I am so happy he is showing that this is the way forward. He is saying: ‘Yes, I scored runs today, but it is business as usual. My one-day form is good, but there are more people whom I have to praise and motivate,'” Ashwin said in a video on YouTube.

“What is remarkable? We need to normalise everything. We shouldn’t keep promoting superstardom and super-celebrity culture. For the next generation, we need to normalise it. We are cricketers-we are not actors, we are not superstars. We are sportspeople, with whom normal people should be able to resonate,” Ashwin added, doffing his hat to Rohit.

“So when players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have achieved so much in their careers, score big, it’s business as usual. The goals should be bigger – it’s not about the individuals.”

This statement will give a sleepless night to under 18 fans

Selfless nation is back

pic.twitter.com/OYEPOZjhGK

— (@Ro_45stan) February 13, 2025

Ashwin also credited Rohit for helping India adapt to the changing approach in ODI cricket. For the veteran all-rounder, Rohit has shown the rest of the team, the way forward by implementing changes in his own batting style.

“The game is changing. We all need to understand that cricket is bigger than any individual. He has shown the way forward. In Indian cricket, there has always been talk about improving averages, remaining not out, monitoring personal scores, looking at career averages, and securing a place in the squad. But, from our early days, we have been wearing the jersey and playing for the country. Rohit is playing the game and setting the example,” Ashwin said.

“England, between 2015 and 2019, changed the game (ODI). India were actually late to the party. Who showed the way forward? Rohit Sharma. It took us eight years. Maybe, had it been six years, we would have won another trophy. So, Rohit was the burning light in the candle to change and transform this,” Ashwin asserted.

India’s superstar batter Virat Kohli‘s Ranji Trophy return didn’t go as planned, with the batter only scoring 6 runs off 15 balls in the first innings of Delhi vs Railways match. Kohli was undone by Railways pacer Himanshu Sangwan who delivered a peach of a delivery to send the batter’s off-stump flying. The dismissal meant that Kohli added another underwhelming knock to his poor form. While there’s no denying that Virat has been going through a rough patch for a long time, it’s his fanbase that left former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin more disappointing. Ashwin, referring to a comment from a fan, lost his cool and decided to teach a cricketing lesson.

Kohli’s Ranji Trophy return confirmed his intention to continue Test cricket despite the ‘outside noise’ wanting him to move on. Ashwin, however, feels the kind of crowd Kohli pulled in at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley stadium should be there for every Ranji Trophy match.

“It’s a great thing when it comes to Virat Kohli. He is extremely motivated. I know that. His intention is to play Test cricket and do well. I actually think he has a lot left in the tank. But all said and done, the crowd that turned up, it was great. Such crowds should be there for every Ranji Trophy match,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.

Ashwin, referring to the ‘Ranji Trophy is blessed with Kohli’s return’ post on X (formerly Twitter), blasted the fan, highlighting how even the legendary Sachin Tendulkar played the Ranji Trophy whenever he could.

“I saw one tweet saying ‘Ranji Trophy is blessed’. I would just say, pay some attention. Do you even know the history of the Ranji Trophy? It has been going on for so many years. It has been a premier tournament,” said Ashwin.

“Sachin Tendulkar, who is a legendary cricketer, used to play the Ranji Trophy at all times. Players benefit from playing in the tournament. For cricket, players are not important, but for players, cricket is very important,” he added.

Ashwin also had some nice words to say about Himanshu Sangwan, the Railways pacer who shot to stardom by dismissing Virat, saying he isn’t an ‘ordinary bowler’.

“Himanshu Sangwan delivered a phenomenal ball. He is not an ordinary Ranji Trophy bowler. He is a tested performer. He is a gold-dust performer. He bowled an exceptional delivery. There was a gap between pad and bat, it was a class delivery. The ball deserved a wicket,” said Ashwin.

“I saw him (Virat Kohli) batting. His bat was coming down a little faster. Sometimes, you have to adjust to the speed. When you face 140-145kmph bowlers regularly, you need to adjust to the pace. Time in the middle, nothing can beat it,” he added.

“The fandom and love that Virat Kohli gets is enviable. I am so happy for Virat that he has these sorts of fans. Totally happy for Virat Kohli,” he added.

R Ashwin explained why India is far behind Australia as a cricketing powerhouse.© YouTube