Ashwin Expands His Game in IPL 2024
Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday admitted to recognizing the need to broaden his game, particularly his batting, during the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year with the Rajasthan Royals.
Leading Dindigul Dragons
Ashwin will be leading the Dindigul Dragons against Lyca Kovai Kings in the final of the Tamil Nadu Premier League on Sunday. This season, he has excelled with the bat, being Dindigul’s third-highest run-scorer.
Mastering New Techniques
Ashwin’s successful use of reverse sweeps, especially against left-arm spinners R Sai Kishore and S Ajith Ram in Qualifier 2 versus Idream Tiruppur Tamizhans, has garnered attention. He has been scoring many boundaries towards the square of the wicket this season. When asked about mastering this technique, Ashwin explained, “Everything is a work in progress, right? It’s all about repetitions, and understanding angles and triggers.”
Expanding Horizons
“Obviously, in the last IPL, I felt like I needed to widen my game and horizons square of the wicket because I know I can hit the ball down the ground, and I can use my feet,” Ashwin told reporters during the pre-final press conference on Saturday. “Do I want to explore other options is something I had to ask myself. So, if I can ask that question and find an answer, it gives me a new avenue to explore and keep myself interested in the game.”
Shahrukh Khan’s Improvement with Spin
Meanwhile, Lyca skipper Shahrukh Khan shared his experience with IPL side Gujarat Titans, where he worked extensively on batting against spin. “When I was with the Gujarat Titans, we had a camp for about a couple of months. So, I started working a lot on my spin game because they wanted me to bat up the order,” he said. “And, when you bat up the order, obviously for a batter like me having my concerns against spin, opponent teams would bring in spin when I come out to bat. So, their role was to help me improve my spin game, and it helped.”
Key Performances in TNPL
The 29-year-old all-rounder has been his side’s second-highest run-getter for the season, after B Sai Sudharsan, and boasts the best strike rate from his team—191.37. The TNPL final starts at 7.15 pm and will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.(Dubai7-Realmoneygame)