In a dream deal for the fans, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) splashed INR 9.75 crore to sign veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin during the IPL 2025 mega auction last month.
Ashwin returned home after a long gap of 9 years as CSK outbid Rajasthan Royals to secure his services. He started off his IPL career at CSK in 2009 and played a key role in the team’s title wins in 2010 and 2011.
The off-spinner was associated with the Chennai-based franchise till 2015 before joining the now-defunct Rising Pune Super Giants, followed by stints with the Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals.
Ahead of his much-awaited reunion with the CSK, Ashwin heaped praise on the legendary MS Dhoni’s leadership skills.
The off-spinner emphasized Dhoni's simplicity of sticking to the basics, which sets him apart as a captain from the rest.
"It is a very simple question to answer. In my head, I think he does most of the basic things right, and most of the other captains miss the basic elementary things, which makes the game look much more difficult for them," Ashwin said while speaking on Sky Sports Cricket podcast.
Dhoni has left a massive impact on the game with his leadership. He is the only skipper in the history of cricket to have won all three ICC white-ball trophies – 2007 World T20, 2011 Cricket World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy. He also led the Super Kings to five IPL titles.
Ashwin further explained how Dhoni allowed his bowlers to express themselves but left no room for complacency.
"He would never, for example, give the bowler the ball. The first thing he would say is to take your field and bowl to the field. He hated the fact when a batter came to bat and you gave a loose delivery, he wouldn't take me off bowling. If I gave two three boundaries in an over, that is well earned," Ashwin stated.
"If I gave a new batter a ball to cut or drive, he would be livid. He would make me feel my place, and he would take me off bowling. That is a very basic essence of cricket. Over the years, I realised people have forgotten the basics," he added.
In IPL 2023, Dhoni used Tushar Deshpande to spearhead the pace attack. Tushar played a key role in CSK’s record-equaling fifth IPL title win, returning with 21 wickets in 16 games.
Ashwin highlighted the reason behind Deshpande's success under Dhoni's captaincy. "There are certain facets of the game that don't change, and MS Dhoni keeps it simple on those accounts. Last year in IPL, he got Tushar Despande, and he got the best out of him. I know what exactly MS Dhoni would have told him. He would have told him to get hit on the longer side of the boundary and give me two runs less than you gave last year. That does two things to the bowler. It relieves the pressure, and it makes him think I can get in a very small set of goals," he remarked.
