Chennai Super Kings' triumph at Chepauk played a significant role in shaping Ashwin's career.
Ace Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his gratitude towards fellow cricketing legend and former captain MS Dhoni, acknowledging that he owed a debt of gratitude to Dhoni for giving him the opportunity to bowl to the explosive former West Indian opener Chris Gayle in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
During the IPL final in 2011 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Dhoni surprised fans and experts alike by entrusting the new ball to the 24-year-old Ashwin to bowl against the hard-hitting Caribbean batsman.
Dhoni's bold decision paid off as Ashwin successfully dismissed Gayle, a pivotal moment that ultimately led to victory in the final. Chennai Super Kings' triumph at Chepauk played a significant role in shaping Ashwin's career, propelling him to excel in all three formats of cricket on the international stage in the years to come.
At a felicitation ceremony hosted by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) on Saturday to celebrate Ashwin's achievement of reaching 500 Test wickets, he fondly recalled the pivotal moment when Dhoni entrusted him with a crucial task, and he rose to the occasion.
"In 2008, I met all the greats (in the CSK dressing room), including Matthew Hayden and MS Dhoni. But I sat through (IPL) 2008. I was nobody then. I did not see myself playing in a team that had Muttiah Muralitharan back in the day," Ashwin said at the event.
"I wish to thank him (skipper Dhoni) from the bottom of my heart. I will forever be indebted to him for what he gave me. He gave me an opportunity with the new ball to go head-on with Chris Gayle and years later, Anil bhai (Anil Kumble) would be talking about that particular episode," he added.
Over the course of the next decade, Ashwin rose to become the second-highest Indian wicket-taker after the legendary Kumble, currently boasting an impressive 516 scalps to his name. Ashwin's remarkable ability to consistently enhance and evolve his skills has been a key factor in his triumph in the realm of international cricket.
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 "'Indebted to him for rest of my life': R Ashwin credits former India captain for revitalizing his career")
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