Considered to be one of the best spinners in modern-day cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin has been a mainstay of India’s Test team, but has found it hard to cement a spot in the white-ball outfits since 2017. The veteran was part of India’s disastrous T20 World Cup campaign last year, and will be aiming to use his performance in IPL 2022 for a spot in this year’s T20 World Cup in Australia. The 35-year-old was released by Delhi Capitals (DC) after IPL 2021 and was purchased by Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the mega auction for Rs 5 crore. He made his IPL debut with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and his performances under the stewardship of MS Dhoni saw him get a spot in India’s 2011 ICC World Cup-winning squad.
Ashwin was a force to reckon with in IPL and played for CSK until the team was suspended from the tournament for two years. He has since gone on to represent Rising Pune Supergiant, Punjab Kings (PBKS) and DC.
While Ashwin has managed to stay among the wickets in IPL, his performances have never been the same as it was in the CSK colours. For CSK, he took 90 wickets in 97 matches at an economy of 6.46. For Punjab, he scalped 25 dismissals in 28 fixtures at an economy of 7.67. Meanwhile for DC, he took 20 wickets in 28 games at an economy of 7.55. Also for Pune, he took 10 wickets in 14 fixtures at an economy of 7.25.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, former India cricketer Parthiv Patel explained Ashwin’s slump in figures and also stated that MS Dhoni knew how to use the bowler in CSK.
“First of all, it depends on the type of pitch you use. In Chennai, 140 or 150 is a winning score and spin also happens a lot. So because of that his numbers are better with Chennai. Also, the captain makes a difference. MS Dhoni knew how to use R Ashwin and where to use him. In 2010, he only made Ashwin use the new ball. He used him well and also got helped from the wicket”, the former India wicketkeeper said.
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“These numbers are not that bad. He has even made a comeback in the Indian team”, he further added.
RR and Ashwin have already begun their IPL 2022 campaign and are currently on top of the table. They defeated SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 61 runs in their campaign opener with Ashwin failing to take a wicket in four overs.
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