At a glance:
- Ravichandran Ashwin celebration made MS Dhoni angry
- Ravi Ashwin made his IPL debut with Chennai Super Kings in 2010.
- Ashwin reflects on his IPL career, wanting to finish at Chepauk where he started with CSK.
Former India captain MS Dhoni is widely known as “Captain Cool” for his remarkable calmness under pressure. However, former Chennai Super Kings teammate Ravichandran Ashwin recently recalled an incident from the early days of Dhoni’s career that briefly irritated the legendary wicketkeeper-batter.
Speaking on JioStar’s The Ravichandran Ashwin Experience, Ashwin reflected on his animated celebration after dismissing Dhoni in the Challenger Trophy. The veteran off-spinner admitted that, at the time, he believed taking Dhoni’s wicket could improve his chances of earning a place in the Chennai Super Kings squad for the IPL.
“Muttiah Muralitharan was in the team, a legend, bowling his full quota, so I wasn’t getting chances (to play for CSK). I didn’t play in 2008, but in 2009, I got my first game in Cape Town, against the Mumbai Indians, against Sachin Tendulkar. Between 2009 and 2010, I still didn’t get many opportunities,” said Ashwin, who retired from all forms of international cricket in December 2024.
“In the Challenger Trophy, I got a chance to bowl to Dhoni. Dhoni got out twice against our team. Once, he hit a shot towards deep cover, and I took a diving catch. I celebrated it so much that he actually got annoyed. He (Dhoni) was like, ‘What’s there to celebrate so much?’ I told him, ‘Getting your wicket was my dream. Maybe this will open a door for me in CSK.’ The next year, I got my chance.”
Ravi Ashwin Speaks on CSK Atmosphere
Meanwhile, he also mentions the CSK atmosphere and the key to their long-term success, particularly from 2010 to 2015.
“I think Chennai was one of those early teams with not just good batsmen, but many quality bowlers too. Along with that, a few domestic players came through, like me, Murali Vijay, Badrinath, and Shadab Jakati, who many may not know but played a heroic role for CSK, he was the captain of Goa at that time.”
“Wriddhiman Saha was also picked and used in the middle order, and he performed. That was the kind of cricketing environment Chennai had. Also, you didn’t have to worry about anything off the field,” he said.
Ashwin Opens up on his Career
Ashwin, who concluded his IPL career with CSK because he wanted to finish where he began, is India’s second-highest Test wicket-taker with 537 wickets from 106 appearances.
R Ashwin has been a valuable asset to the Chennai-based IPL team, helping CSK win the Champions League T20 trophies in 2010 and 2014 in addition to the IPL crowns in 2010 and 2011.
“When I got the chance to play for CSK again, the first thought was that I could finish where I started. My intention was to play for 2-3 years. It didn’t happen, that’s a different story. I won’t go there now. But where it started, it finished there.
“And I had another small dream to finish at Chepauk. I couldn’t do that. My last IPL game was in Delhi. But if I had played at Chepauk, it would have been even better. Because my last ODI game was at Chepauk. There are many memories on that ground, it’s very close to my heart.”
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