Ravichandran Ashwin Lauds MS Dhoni Over His Incredible Achievements As Captain
Jan 9, 2019 at 4:11 PM
Indian veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has hailed his former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his incredible achievements as a skipper, after the latter failed to mention Dhoni’s name in a thanksgiving note when he was awarded as ICC Cricketer of the Year and Test Cricketer of the Year in 2016.
Earlier, the spin sensation had also lauded Dhoni’s decision to step down as the skipper after having a remarkable stint as the national side’s captain.
“He [Dhoni] is going to be available to play as a player. But he has had an illustrious career as a captain. There are a lot of leadership lessons even for bigger leaders out there. Earlier, Sourav Ganguly began a fighting phase in the early 2000s. Dhoni also came from that phase to a certain extent,” Ashwin said.
“Virat Kohli’s record in Tests the last year have been very good. I’m sure MSD saw that and only then decided to pass the baton on. Whether someone can achieve what Dhoni has achieved remains to be seen, it will definitely be a herculean task,” Ashwin added.
Ashwin has been remarkable for India especially in home conditions. He bagged 72 wickets at an average of 23.90 in 12 Tests in 2016, which included 8 five-fors. In the same year, he was adjudged Man of the Series twice and Man of the Match thrice, spread over 23 innings.
“Every time, that I thought this was the best I’m bowling, I always managed to surprise myself, which is a good thing. I just hope it continues and I keep getting better and better,” Ashwin remarked.
While making some handy contributions with the bat, Ashwin scored 612 runs at an average of 43.71, which included two hundreds and four fifties.
“As far as my batting is concerned, Sanjay Bangar has been an influential character. He gave me open feedback on my batting and told me how bad it was. He helps me whenever I am with the Indian team,” Ashwin concluded.