IPL 2019: MS Dhoni Has Made Me More Innovative Says Ravichandran Ashwin
May 3, 2019 at 1:00 PM
Kings XI Punjab Ravichandran Ashwin has led his franchise very well and also led from the front. However despite his best efforts, Kings XI Punjab is on the threshold of getting eliminated from the tournament after losing 7 of their 12 games so far.
The performance of the KXIP players has been very ordinary which hasn’t helped Ashwin who has taken some great decisions which have eventually helped Punjab win a few matches. Despite controlling his troops well, he has been criticised for trying out too many things. There is certainly no doubt about the fact that Ashwin has developed a few new deliveries in the IPL.
Ashwin has taken 14 wickets in the tournament so far in 12 matches and is currently the 2nd highest wicket-taker for Kings XI Punjab behind Mohammad Shami. Despite getting criticised, Ashwin hasn’t bothered a single bit and has gone on doing his job in an undeterred manner. The Kings XI Punjab skipper stated that it is the role of former India skipper MS Dhoni who has always backed him for being innovative.
It was only in 2018 that Ashwin started leading Kings XI Punjab. Till 2016, Ravichandran Ashwin was part of the Chennai Super Kings squad which was led by MS Dhoni. He played under him and it was under Dhoni’s captaincy that Ashwin realized his dream of playing international cricket for India.
“In one way or the other, MS Dhoni has played a critical part in (developing) that thinking of mine because I have taken a lot of flak from a lot of experts and cricketers for being a little too innovative, trying to do a lot of things and trying new things,’ Ashwin was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times during an exclusive interview.
Ravichandran Ashwin further added that MS Dhoni was the person who brought the innovative nature in the player and made him a confident individual. “As a cricketer, I have also gone through the phase of trying to be rudimentary, bowling the stock balls. MS has always maintained that my strength has been being innovative, being the person who always reinvents the wheel and that has stuck in my head,” Ashwin further added.