"MS Dhoni struggled"- Ravichandran Ashwin reveals how he made India legend acknowledge him
Published - 27 Jun 2024, 12:30 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:14 AM
Ravichandran Ashwin is not a part of the Indian team currently. He is busy though as he is following India's matches in the World Cup and sharing his reviews on them on social media. Ashwin recently shared yet another unheard story about MS Dhoni.
The ace Indian spinner is currently enjoying his break from international cricket and doing some fun work in between. Now among the veterans of the Indian cricket team, Ashwin once found it hard to garner the attention of MS Dhoni.
In the launch event of his new book 'I Have the Streets - A Kutti Cricket Story', Ashwin said that it had taken him till 2009 to gain Dhoni's attention.
"MS Dhoni didn't even know someone like me existed in 2008. So, I made it my life goal, from 2009, to get the wicket of MS Dhoni," Ashwin said, as quoted by NDTV.
"I bowled an unbelievable spell in the Challenger Trophy in Nagpur. MS struggled throughout the spell. Once, when he tried to play, the ball went through the gates. I got him out in the final. "From then on, MS Dhoni saw me as someone with skill, and the relationship matured," he said.
Soon Ashwin joined CSK in 2009 and in IPL 2010 played a key role in helping the franchise win their first IPL title. He was also a part of the team when they won their second title in 2011.
"If MS decides a horse is not ready to race, he won't use you. He needs to know you're a horse. But once he knows you're a horse, he will look past you only when you feel like giving up. That is MS Dhoni. He believes in you," said Ashwin as he pointed out a very interesting anecdote about Dhoni.
Ravichandran Ashwin Could Return To CSK In IPL 2025: Reports
Reportedly, R Ashwin joined India Cements in early June and is reportedly set to take up the charge of the Chennai Super Kings High-Performance Centre. Hence rumors are already being made about his possible return to CSK with the mega auction happening before IPL 2024.
CSK as a franchise did not qualify for the IPL 2024 playoffs. They finished fifth on the points table winning seven and losing seven games. Ruturaj Gaikwad was named the new skipper of the franchise just one day before CSK played their campaign opener against RCB. Overall, it was a disappointing campaign as Chennai did not make the playoffs.
However, fans welcomed MS Dhoni with open arms every time he walked out to bat. This year, MSD just scored 161 runs in 11 innings at an average of 53.67 and a strike rate touching 220.
MS Dhoni has not yet announced his retirement from the IPL as was expected after the end of IPL 2024. He had knee surgery done at the end of IPL 2023 to come back and play IPL 2024. This time around, he has delayed his decision and as per reports, the franchise is awaiting a decision on his future in the IPL.
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