Overview:

India has produced many great cricketers, but none as thoughtful as Ravichandran Ashwin. He is the closest thing to Kapil Dev in Indian cricket in the 1980s and 1990s. He is a spin wizard with the ball, and over time, he developed his batting to become one of the greatest all-rounders of the twenty-first century, particularly in Test cricket. Ravichandran Ashwin’s stats are second to none, when it comes to modern-day greats in Test cricket.

Career Brief

In the first quarter of the 21st century, Ravichandran Ashwin will go down as one of the greats, not just in Indian cricket but in the world in general. A street smart cricketer, born and brought up in Chennai, Ashwin brings a pile of tricks to the table, whenever he represents India across formats. 

• When did Ravi Ashwin make his debut?

Having made his ODI and T20I debuts in 2010, it took Ashwin one more year to make his Test debut against the West Indies in November 2011. Since then records have tumbled one after the other, as Ashwin continues to bamboozle batsmen all around the world, with his craft, guile and most importantly outthinking the batter mentally on a consistent basis.

This might surprise you, but the man who is on the cusp of reaching 450 Test wickets started as a top-order batsman at the junior level. However, Ashwin did not find much success with the bat. The move gave India its next match-winner post-Anil Kumble-Harbhajan Singh era. Ashwin made his Test debut five years after grinding himself on the domestic circuit.

• Rising through the ranks in domestic cricket

He was called up to the Tamil Nadu Ranji team in December 2006, and within a year he was handed the reins of the team. It was in 2010 that Ashwin really thrust himself into the limelight. The Tamil Nadu cricketer was picked by the Chennai Super Kings during the Indian Premier League auctions. Under the leadership of MS Dhoni, Ashwin blossomed as a bowler. His tactical ability combined with a steely temperament and the will to stand up in challenging situations made him Dhoni’s go-to bowler in the IPL. It was just a matter of time before he represented India across formats.

• Ashwin’s cricket evolved under MS Dhoni

Dhoni realized Ashwin’s ability to take the bull by the horns and unleashed him in all three formats. Tamil Nadu delivered first in the white ball format, before taking Test cricket like duck to water. Ashwin never shied away from experimenting as a cricketer, be it with the bat or with the ball. He reintroduced the carrom ball in the game and was highly criticized for overusing it at times. 

• Winning ICC titles for India

In 2011, he was a part of the Indian World Cup team that went on to lift the trophy. Ashwin delivered the final over of the 2013 Champions Trophy against England to help India win the game by 4 runs. 

• Taking the mantle from Harbhajan Singh

After cementing his spot in ODIs, Ashwin took over from Harbhajan Singh in the Test arena. India, at the time, required a lethal spinner, and Ashwin was the answer to their search. In the last 11 years in Test cricket, it is hard to look beyond Ashwin’s phenomenal numbers in Test cricket. The fastest Indian bowler to 200, 300, and 400 Test wickets, Ashwin kept on writing new scripts and adding new records to his glittering career. 

• India’s finest all-rounder after Kapil Dev

He is a fighter with the bat and likes to contribute with the willow. To Ashwin’s credit, he has five centuries, which puts him on an elite list of all-rounders. Ashwin, for the record, is the only cricketer with 3000 Test runs and 400 wickets. Does one need to say more?

• Fighting his way back into white-ball cricket

Having lost his spot in the white-ball format post the 2017 Champions Trophy loss to Pakistan, Ashwin reinvented himself as a bowler and staged a comeback to the format after four years. He was a part of the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cup campaigns. 

• Fastest Indian bowler to 450 Test wickets

Ravi Ashwin Ace became the ninth bowler in Test cricket history to bag 450 wickets or more. In the first Test in Nagpur, he dismissed Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey. With the dismissal, Ashwin became the second-fastest bowler to bag 450 Test wickets. He achieved the milestone in his 89th test. The world record is held by Sri Lankan bowling legend Muttiah Muralitharan, who bagged his 450th Test wicket in only his 80th test.

• Can Ashwin go past Anil Kumble?

His forte, though, remains Test cricket, where very few can challenge his numbers and legacy. Especially at home and in subcontinental conditions, Ashwin is a master of his craft. He has bamboozled some of the best batsmen in the world and loves bowling to left-handers in particular. With 96 Test dismissals as LBWs, it shows the accuracy with which Ashwin bowls and the control he has over his craft. With a good few years left in him, Ashwin is expected to catch up with Anil Kumble’s longstanding record of 619 Test wickets. Already an all-time great, Ashwin still has some unconquered fortresses, especially overseas.

The Journey

Ravi Ashwin has come a long way from the streets and small lanes of Chennai to playing for India, winning ICC titles, and becoming India’s leading off-spinner and best all-rounder in the twenty-first century. His match awareness, ability to read the game well, and never-say-die attitude elevate him to the status of one of the most complete cricketers of his generation. He will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the greats of world cricket, and with a few more seasons ahead of him, even the great man would consider achieving a few more milestones before hanging up his boots. He is a Test cricketing giant whose grit and love for the game continue to perplex even the best willow wielders.

The Technique

Ashwin has five main variations when it comes to deliveries: the conventional off spinner, its top-spin variant, the carrom ball, a slower, flatter ball, and the arm ball. He uses all these variations during the game, depending on the match situation, the opposition batter and the pitch, of course. 

When it comes to Ashwin’s batting, he has a high backlift, and always looks to time the ball, rather than using power. He favours the on-side and tries to use his feet to the spinners when required. He has an excellent defensive technique that helped India bail out of trouble against Australia in Sydney in 2021. He also played a brilliant hand against Bangladesh in Mirpur, to help the visitors win a close contest by 3 wickets.

Technical Shortcoming

In bowling, Ashwin has been repeatedly chastised for his excessive use of the carrom ball when under pressure. Under MS Dhoni’s captaincy, he did it a lot, especially when playing at home or in the Asian subcontinent. In addition, he has had very limited success against Australia in Australia, as well as minimal success in foreign conditions such as New Zealand, South Africa, and England. He prefers spin over bounce and has been unable to decipher the success mantra in other countries.

His high backlift makes him a strong candidate for LBW decisions when batting, especially against fast bowlers. He rarely uses his feet and instead relies on hand-eye coordination, which has led to his demise against quality attacks. He is also susceptible to good short-pitch bowling.

Player Net worth

As of January 2023, Ravi Ashwin’s net worth is $15 million or Rs 110 Crore. His monthly income is Rs 50 Lakh and the Chennai born cricketer earns Rs 7 Crore annually. A major part of his salary comes from the BCCI contract and endorsements apart from the YouTube channel that he runs on his own. He is under Grade A contract with the BCCI, and gets paid Rs 5 Crore annually. The off-spinner has a contract of Rs 7.6 Crore with Delhi Capitals. Ravi Ashwin has endorsements from Myntra, Bombay Shaving Company, Manna Foods, Aristocrat bags, Oppo, Moov, Specsmakers, and Ramraj Linen Shirts.