The R Ashwin I do know: A cricketer who achieved greatness – an individual who remained true to his roots

There has by no means been any smokescreen round Ashwin. He has by no means donned a masks to show totally different faces. The participant Ashwin is a cricketing nice. However Ashwin the person has remained the identical, accessible always, by no means forgetting to name again. He has been a celebrity in each sense, however by no means got here throughout as one. The faces round him at Ramakrishnapuram 1st avenue have remained constants proper by way of his journey. Even his higher half Prithi occurs to be his classmate from college. Like numerous boys in Chennai, he has endured lengthy bus rides to review engineering in a school on the outskirts. Nothing has come simple to him. And he values those that put in arduous work. When he learnt a few pacer who was struggling to make ends meet, he opened doorways for him by discovering the teenager a membership to play in, thereby serving to the pacer earn his Tamil Nadu cap in two years. In a aggressive PR-driven world, he by no means put his fellow cricketers down. If something, he went the additional mile to defend teammates.

Ashwin stays a quintessential Chennaiite. In conversations, he’ll seamlessly slip in in style film dialogues to crack a joke or two on himself or others. However it’s by no means private. A film buff, on excursions, one may discover him attempting to catch first-day-first exhibits of his favorite Rajinikanth or Vijay motion pictures or ask for film or collection ideas. He would even inquire concerning the sizzling spots in Chennai to go to. However as his spouse revealed on this newspaper earlier this 12 months, all of it solely stays on his to-do listing. Maybe, now that he can have the time, one can count on him to atone for these.

Following Covid, one received to see a special facet to Ashwin. Within the months spent in lockdown, like many others, he too, had been gripped by concern. Nevertheless it was the time when his magnanimity shone by way of. When the 2020 IPL was on within the UAE, as a number of journalists, together with cricket writers, misplaced their jobs in pandemic-induced layoffs, Ashwin heard about it and reached out to know if he might be of any help. “Don’t hesitate to inform me if anyone wants assist,” he would say, even providing to rent folks for his YouTube channel. He saved his phrase, too, giving a 30-year-old determined for alternatives, a job.

Amongst his many old-school traits was additionally the assumption that cricket wouldn’t be the sport it’s with out sports activities journalists. Regardless of his busy, unforgiving schedule, he would make time to fulfill the native press typically. He understood our wants. In return, he anticipated solely accountability. After he had taken India house in a decent run-chase towards Bangladesh within the Mirpur Check, I’d written a narrative on why Ashwin wasn’t thought-about for management roles regardless of being the group’s largest match-winner up to now decade. Among the many causes listed out was that he was seen as an over-thinker by choice makers. That night he referred to as to say he differed from my opinion however he by no means introduced it up once more. He was amongst those that agreed to disagree.

The opposite fascinating side that I’ve admired about him is his curiosity in retaining abreast of issues across the sport normally. There have been situations the place Ashwin has referred to as up in the course of an India tour to investigate about scores or how the pitch was behaving in a Ranji match I used to be protecting. It’s a behavior that continues up to now, the place he follows not simply the Tamil Nadu group scores, but in addition retains an in depth eye on his Chennai membership matches. It’s not stunning that he’ll return to his roots and play membership cricket after quitting worldwide cricket. With Ashwin, one anticipated no totally different.

venkatakrishna.b@expressindia.com