Great off spinner of India Ravichandran Ashwin Recently he talked about the lessons he learned during his captaincy with Punjab Kings (PBKS) and how his time spent with Rajasthan Royals (RR) played a crucial role in his return to the national T20I setup after a significant gap.
The veteran spinner reflected on his leadership journey with Punjab, where he led the team in 28 matches across two seasons, winning 12 and losing 16. Although he could not take the team to the playoffs, Ashwin described this phase as an important learning curve during a crucial period of his international career.
“When Punjab picked me in 2018, I knew I was moving on. It was time for me to take over the leadership. As an international cricketer, I have progressed; I was the ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2016. As a person, you look for growth. Even around the 2014 season, during the retention talks, a few teams had approached me to lead them, but I didn't take that opportunity.” The intention of both Rajasthan and Punjab was to make me the captain. I spent two years there and honestly gave everything,” he said on JioStar.
The veteran campaigner further explained how his stint with Punjab helped him grow not only as a cricketer but also as a leader, especially in terms of managing relationships in a team environment.
“I went to Punjab in 2018 and then Delhi. I also had a good time in Delhi, but Punjab made me stronger and more capable. I think I became a better cricketer after 2020 because of that phase. I learned a lot about building relationships, something which is essential if you want to be a leader, captain or coach. It's about making a player feel like a million dollars, and I learned it in Punjab,” he added.
Ashwin also gave credit for this to his three-year tenure. Rajasthan He praised the franchise for using him effectively to revive his T20I career from 2022 to 2024, even if the regret of missing out on a title remains.
“Covid came, but then RR made a bid for me. I spent three years there, and that stint helped me make a comeback into the Indian team. The way RR used me was first-class, and I enjoyed my cricket there like nowhere else, not even during my Under-19 or Under-22 days with Tamil Nadu. Those three years at RR were special. My only small regret is that I didn't win a title with RR. We reached the finals and Qualifier 2, but couldn't go all the way, one year we came close to qualifying but missed it,'' he signed off.
During his stint with Rajasthan, Ashwin took 35 wickets in 45 matches at an average of 38.22, with a best performance of 3/17. He also contributed with the bat and scored 344 runs in 31 innings at a strike rate of over 132, including one half-century.
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