IPL 2018: Kris Srikkanth not a big fan of 'R Ashwin bowling legspin'

R Ashwin has led KXIP brilliantly so far in the IPL 2018, says Kris Srikkanth.

Kings XI present a well-balanced picture in the IPL 2018 so far | IANS

Former Indian skipper  Kris Srikkanth, on Wednesday, opined that R Ashwin –Captain of the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) has led the side brilliantly in the T20 event so far. Punjab is currently placed third on the points table with two wins.

Srikkanth went on to further reveal that he is not a ‘big fan of Ashwin bowling leg-spin’, as he feels that the Tamil Nadu man has enough ability to trouble the dangerous batsmen across the world ‘with the variations up his sleeve as an off-spinner, and the ability to take the ball away from the right-hander’.

In his column for Times of India, Srikkanth wrote, “R Ashwin has led the side brilliantly. There is a lot of positivity about him. That he is a thinking cricketer is only well known, but to put those thoughts in the field and get them executed is an art and he seems to be ticking all the boxes nicely."

Former spinner further explained, “At the same time, I am not a big fan of Ashwin bowling leg-spin. With the variations up his sleeve as an off-spinner and the ability to take the ball away from the right-hander, I feel Ashwin has enough to trouble the best in business. Given his track record (in all formats), I don’t think Ashwin needs to prove anything more.”

On Thursday (19 April), KXIP will play the mighty Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their next IPL 2018 contest, and Srikkanth is  expecting an exciting match in Indore, as Hyderabad haven’t lost single match so far in the tournament, while Punjab has world class batters Chris Gayle, KL Rahul, Yuvraj Singh in their ranks, which makes it as thrilling contest itself.

He noted, “Kings XI have been mighty impressive with their collective thrust while Sunrisers have proved time and again what a proper bowling combination can bring about in T20s. To me, this is easily the most exciting matchup in the IPL. It is early days yet in the league, but Kings XI presents a well-balanced picture. Credit must be given to Sehwag for picking the right men and Ashwin for bringing out the best in them. SRH have got things going swimmingly smooth. Where I would like them to be tested is: chasing a stiff target. If the first three games are an indicator, a target in excess of 170 could really put the skids on them.”

In this season, SRH camp are without their key weapon David Warner, though the Orange Army says they are not missing him too much, and obviously their three wins in the row displayed it, but Kris believes that they will surely miss him in Indore, as they are ‘heavily reliant on Shikhar Dhawan.’

Srikkanth signed off by opining, “As much as the team management would like to say that they don’t miss David Warner, I think the truth is a touch off. At the moment the batting is too heavily reliant on Shikhar Dhawan. Yes, Kane Williamson is a class act, but his style of play does come in with a few limitations (in T20s). The clash this evening could well be holding the mirror to both the sides and their respective strengths and weaknesses. It’s also Kings XI’s final game in Mohali this season and I am sure they would like to leave with an all-win record. Both these sides have proved tough nuts to crack once they have a head start.”

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 19 Apr, 2018

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