Ravichandran Ashwin, popularly known as R Ashwin, is an all-rounder Indian Cricketer, who was on September 17, 1986, in Tamil Nadu. He is a right-hand batsman of the Indian Cricket team, right arm off break spin bowler and one of the quickest Indian spin bowlers that India has ever produced.
Ashwin was educated at Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan and developed his bowling skills at a cricket academy at St Bede’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School. He has a B.Tech degree from SSN College of Engineering.
His father Ravichandran was a fast bowler at the club level who worked for Southern Railways. Narayanan Prithi, who is a childhood friend of his, has married him and they both have two daughters.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s Cricketing Career
At the junior-level (U-17) category, R Ashwin started his career in cricket as an opener. In December 2006, he was working as a specialist fast bowler for the Tamil Nadu cricket team and South Zone but turned to a spin bowler due to a pelvic injury.
However, his career took a turn in 2009 when he was picked by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) against Mumbai Indians in the finals. He was picked by Rising Pune Supergiant after CSK was suspended for two years.
The Indian off-spinner was picked up by Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) during IPL 2018 player auction for Rs 7.6 crore. He was later given the role of captain of the KXIP franchise Ipl team.
Ashwin made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka on June 5, 2010, a week later he made his debut in T20I against Zimbabwe. He debuted in test cricket against the West Indies team in November 2011. In 2016, he became the first Indian cricketer to reach 50 T20I wickets.
He is the highest-ranked Test bowler in the ICC Player Rankings for India and the highest-ranked Test spinner in the world. In his lifetime cricketing career, he has won 9 Man of the Series awards in Test cricket, more than any other Indian cricketer.
He was also awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2014, making him the only 48th cricketer to be conferred with it.
Awards Tally of Ravichandran Ashwin
- 765 – The tally of international wickets for Ashwin is second only to Anil Kumble (956) among Indian bowlers. Overall, Ashwin’s tally ranks 11th on the all-time list across formats.
- 537 – Ashwin’s Test wicket tally is second only to Kumble’s 619 for India.
- 1 – Ashwin was the first bowler to reach 100 wickets in World Test Championship, when he achieved the feat in March 2022.
- World Test Championship: 3rd edition Highest 195 – Ashwin – (Retired as the highest wicket-taker across 3 editions of the World Test Championship).
- 37 – Only Muttiah Muralidaran (67) has more than Ashwin’s 37 five-fors in Test cricket.
- 2 – In February 2024 Ashwin became the second fastest bowler, in terms of matches played, to take 500 Test wickets (98 games). He is still the fastest to 250, 300 and 350 Test wickets.
- 11 – The number of Player of the Series awards Ashwin has won in Test cricket. Among Indian cricketers, only Virat Kohli (21), and Sachin Tendulkar (20) have more than his 12 Series awards overall.
- 226 – Ashwin had 226 dismissals with bowled and lbw wickets in Test – the highest for any spinner.
- 302 – Ashwin is one of only three bowlers with at least 300 bowled-lbw dismissals in international cricket, trailing just Muralidaran (336) and Anderson (320).
- 4 – Ashwin has scored a hundred and taken a five-wicket haul in a Test on four occasions, after only England’s Ian Botham (five times).
- 156 – Ashwin is India’s fourth-highest wicket-taking spinner in ODs in 116 matches.
- 383 – Ashwin is the highest-wicket-taking bowler in India in Tests, with 383 scalps in 65 games.
- 475 – The total number of wickets by Ashwin in India, which is second most by any bowler in the country behind Anil Kumble’s 476 in all formats.
- 38 – With 6/88 at his home ground against Bangladesh in Chennai, Ashwin achieved the feat of the oldest Indian bowler to have a Test wicket haul which is significantly a great achievement.
- 46.0 – Ashwin’s Test bowling strike rate in India, is best for any spinner at home for 200 wickets or more.
