One of the best spinners India has ever produced, Ravichandran Ashwin is currently the best spinner in the world. The spin wizard has an abundance of variations in his armory such as off break, leg break, slider, carrom ball, doosra, etc. It is the plurality, which makes him stand out in the public. Apart from being an off-break bowler, he is a commendable batsman also. From beginning his career as a T20 bowler to become a quality spinner, Ravi Ashwin has come a long way, the transition has been phenomenal. He is getting better by defeating all the hurdles in his way with his age like wine. There are some interesting facts about Ravichandran Ashwin, which may make the fans say wow.
Interesting Facts About Ravichandran Ashwin
- Ashwin was born on 17th 1986 in Mylapore province in a Brahmin family, Chennai. His father Ravichandran was a club cricketer and used to be a fast bowler.
- Ravichandran Ashwin would go to the Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan School and later to St. Bede’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School. He has carried out his graduation in Information Technology from SSN College of Engineering.
- Ravi Ashwin’s nickname is “Ash”.
- Having started his career as an opening batsman and a medium pace bowler, Ashwin’s childhood coach CK Vijay assisted him to be an off-spinner by keeping his 6 ft 2-inch height in mind. During a match in his U-16 days, he got injured in his pelvic area. So his mother suggested him to try his hand in spin bowling as he was struggling to run.
- His first domestic match was against Haryana in 2006, he did a great announcement of his professional career, grabbing 6 wickets in his first match.
- Making his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in 2010, he scored 38 runs in 2 wickets. So far, Ashwin has bagged 150 wickets in 111 matches.
- Not many people know that Ravichandran Ashwin was a part of the 2011 World Cup-winning Indian squad. He played only two matches, including the quarter-final against Australia, and grabbed 4 wickets.
- Ashwin is one of the few players to get the Man of the Match award in his debut test match. He was outstanding, returning with 9 wickets in the match, inclusive of 6 for 47 in the second innings.
- Ravichandran Ashwin is the third Indian to take 5 wickets and score a century in a test, he achieved the feat in his very third test match against West Indies in 2011 by getting 5/156 and making 103 runs.
- In test cricket, Ashwin has grabbed 409 wickets in 78 matches, including 30 5-wicket hauls, which is the 2nd most by any Indian in tests.
- Ashwin holds the record of taking the highest number of wickets in a 4-match test series, 29 wickets in the 2013 test series against Australia. Anil Kumble was the previous record holder, who grabbed 28 wickets.
- One of the finest founds for India in test cricket in the last decade (2010-2020) was Ravi Ashwin. He was magnificent with the ball and has made few records like-
i) fastest 250 wickets in Tests in just 45 innings
ii) fastest 300 test wickets in 54 innings.
iii) joint-fastest 350 wickets in 66 matches
iv) quickest to 25 fifers in 47 tests
vi) fastest Indian to take 50, 100, 200, 300 & 400 test scalps
- Ashwin made his first appearance in T20I in 2010 against Zimbabwe. Ashwin is the maiden Indian bowler to take 50 T20I wickets.
- The nightmare in the past decade for the left-handers was India’s pride Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin has broken the record of Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan to become the bowler to dismiss the most number of left-handers (more than 200).
- Ashwin has already won 8 Man of the Series award in 79 test matches, which is 3rd joint-highest in the history of test cricket. He equated with the Great Imran Khan and Shane Warne in terms of getting the Man of the Series award.
- Ashwin has been an impressive all-rounder in the longest format of the game. He has made it to an elite list of scoring 500 runs and taking 50 wickets in just 11 innings. He is the third player to do so after sir Ian Botham & Jack Gregory.
- 39* off 128 balls in the 3rd test match against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground in 2021 has been the best innings of Ashwin’s career. The value of this innings is high because it saved the test match for India, despite of being hit on the body he showed his courage and hanged in there along with fellow teammate Hanuma Vihari, who made 23 off 161 balls. Due to this test match, India eventually won the Border-Gavaskar test series for the 2nd time in Australia having victory in the last test match.
- The great wicket-keeper batsman from Sri Lanka, Kumar Sangakkara has been dismissed by Ashwin in four consecutive test innings, he is the only bowler to do it against him.
- In 2009, Chennai Super Kings bought Ravi Ashwin in IPL. he bagged 13 wickets in his debut season. Till 2015, Ashwin played for CSK. Afterward following the ban of CSK, he became a part of Rising Pune Supergiants for another two years (2016-17). In the auction of 2018, Kings Xi Punjab roped him in their squad for INR 7.6 cr. after sharing the dressing room for 2 years with them, Delhi Capitals traded Ashwin in 2020 and he became the 4th highest wicket-taker in that season, with 13 wickets. He has scalped 139 wickets in 159 IPL games to date.
- The Government of India honored Ashwin with the prestigious “Arjuna Award” in 2014 for his exceptional international career.
- The all-round caliber of Ravi Ashwin has rewarded him with many magistral awards. The following awards are received by him :
i) BCCI’s best cricketer of the year award in 2010-11 & 2015-16.
ii) ICC Test player of the year award in 2016.
iii) ICC Cricketer of the year 2016-17.
- Ravi Ashwin tied the knot with his childhood friend Prithi Narayan in 2011. He has two daughters also named Akhira and Adhya.
- Ashwin wears shirt no 99 in international cricket.
- The veteran all-rounders estimated net worth is $20.5 million.
Career Bowling Stats
| Format | Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | BBF | Strike Rate | 5-wikcets | 10-wickets | Economy |
| Test | 78 | 146 | 409 | 24.69 | 7/59 | 52.60 | 30 | 7 | 2.81 |
| ODI | 111 | 109 | 150 | 32.91 | 4/25 | 40.10 | – | – | 4.91 |
| T20I | 46 | 46 | 52 | 22.94 | 4/8 | 19.70 | – | – | 6.97 |
| IPL | 159 | 156 | 139 | 27.68 | 4/34 | 24.06 | – | – | 6.90 |
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