Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently revealed that he had planned to retire from Test cricket after playing his 100th match. He had even invited former India captain MS Dhoni to be a part of the milestone occasion and present him with the commemorative memento. However, fate had other plans, and Ravichandran Ashwin’s career took an unexpected turn with his return to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Ravichandran Ashwin achieved the milestone of playing 100 Test matches during the fifth and final Test of the series against England in March 2024. The game was held at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, where Ravichandran Ashwin delivered a match-winning performance, claiming nine wickets and helping India secure a victory by an innings and 64 runs, sealing the series 4-1.
Reflecting on his landmark Test, Ravichandran Ashwin shared that he had envisioned it as his farewell match from the longest format of the game. He personally invited MS Dhoni to hand him the special memento, making the occasion even more memorable. However, Dhoni was unable to attend. Despite this, Ravichandran Ashwin believes destiny had a bigger surprise in store for him.
“I called MS Dhoni for my 100th Test in Dharamshala to hand over the memento. I wanted to make that my last Test. But he couldn’t make it. However, I didn’t think he would give me the gift of getting me back to CSK. It’s a much better one. So, thank you, MS, for doing it. I’m glad to be here,” Ravichandran Ashwin was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
Ravichandran Ashwin also reminisced about his early days with CSK, expressing gratitude to Dhoni for the opportunities that shaped his career. He recalled his first IPL season in 2008, where he shared the dressing room with cricketing legends such as Matthew Hayden and Muttiah Muralitharan.
“In 2008, I met all the greats in the CSK dressing room, including Matthew Hayden and MS Dhoni. I sat through the entire season as a nobody. How could I play in a team that had Muttiah Muralitharan? But Dhoni believed in me. He gave me the opportunity to bowl with the new ball against Chris Gayle, and 17 years later, people still talk about that episode. I will always be indebted to him,” Ravichandran Ashwin recalled.
After eight seasons away from the franchise, Ravichandran Ashwin will be reuniting with CSK in IPL 2024. The five-time champions secured his services for Rs 9.75 crore in the auction, marking his much-anticipated return. He will once again join forces with his long-time spin partner, Ravindra Jadeja, as CSK aims for another successful season.
