I Was Playing Matches Without Getting Any Sleep - Ravichandran Ashwin Opens On His Decision To Leave IPL 2021 After Family Members Contracted Covid-19

Senior India Delhi Capitals off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that he couldn’t get proper sleep while playing in the IPL 2021 as he was concerned about his family who had contracted the covid-19 virus.

Eventually, after playing 5 games, the last of which was the Super Over win against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 25, Ravichandran Ashwin decided to take a break from the season to support his family and extended family. In a tweet in which he announced the news, the off-spinner also said that he expected to return if the situation improved, however, in a few days after that the entire season was suspended.

Now, he has opened up about his mental battle of staying away from the family and playing cricket.  He says that after the persons in his family recovered, he had thought of returning but the season was postponed by then.

“Almost everyone from my place had got affected due to COVID. In fact, few of my cousins also got admitted and were serious and they somehow recovered. I couldn’t sleep for almost 8-9 days.

“Since I couldn’t sleep, it was really stressful for me. I was playing matches without getting any sleep. And since I found it really taxing, I had to quit IPL and go home midway. In fact, when I left, around that time, I had thoughts on whether I will be able to play cricket thereafter. But still, I did what was required at that point of time,” Ravichandran Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel.

“I thought there won’t be any cricket for sometime. Even IPL got postponed. In between, when people in my house started recovering, I thought of coming back into the IPL and that’s when IPL was called off,” he added.

Bio-bubble breach doesn’t mean someone from outside has entered the bubble: Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin, who was the Man of the Series in the recent Test series against England at home, explains that the term ‘bio-bubble breach’ has been used in a negative sense and puts the players infected in a bad light.

He says that no one from outside the bubble had entered the bubble, neither anyone from inside went outside, it was indeed the virus that came in contact with someone from inside the bubble.

“Many of you would have heard about term bio-bubble breach. It doesn’t mean someone from outside has entered the bubble. This is a virus and we still don’t know how it enters. So, a bio-bubble breach here refers to bubble being held like in a sanctum and someone inside that very bubble getting infected. So, there must have been a breach was the assumption and that’s what they call as bio-bubble breach,” the Tamil Nadu cricketer explained.

The 34-year old will next travel to the UK for the WTC final against New Zealand, followed by the 5-Test series against hosts England.

Also Read: Some Love It, Some Say It Looks ‘Horrible’ – Neil Wagner On The Reactions Of His Teammates Over His Wicket-Taking Celebration