Indian cricket player Ravichandran Ashwin, who is known for his skill in spinning the ball, said he wants to improve his game after the 2024 Indian Premier League. Ashwin has also been doing well with the bat in the current Tamil Nadu Premier League. Under his leadership, the Dindigul Dragons made it to the final of the TNPL 2024 and will play against Shahrukh Khan’s Lyca Kovai Kings. Ashwin was the third-highest run-scorer for the Dindigul team. He has been particularly impressive with his use of sweeps, especially against left-arm fast bowlers. Ashwin believes that the last IPL helped him decide to expand his batting skills.
“In the previous IPL, I realized I needed to expand my skills and look beyond just hitting the ball straight. I know I can hit it long and move around the crease, but I wondered if there were other ways I could improve. Asking myself these questions and finding answers helps me discover new ways to stay engaged with cricket,” Ashwin said during a media session before the TNPL 2024 final.
Ashwin, known for his bowling, has focused on his batting and has shown significant improvement. He has scored 200 runs in eight innings at the TNPL with a very high strike rate of 167. This season, he has broadened his abilities as a batsman. His ability to hit boundaries has been useful for the Rajasthan Royals, who have used him higher in the batting order in the IPL to reduce pressure on the lower-order batsmen.
During his time with the IPL team Gujarat Titans, Lyca skipper Shahrukh mentioned that he focused heavily on improving his batting against spin bowlers, which proved to be very beneficial for him.
“While I was with the Gujarat Titans, we had a training camp for about two months. I began working extensively on my skills against spin because they wanted me to bat higher up the order,” he explained.
“Batting higher up means, for someone like me who has struggled against spin, the opposing teams often bring in spin bowlers when I’m at the crease.
“So, their goal was to help me get better at handling spin, and it really paid off. The forward press I’m using (in this TNPL) is now quite noticeable, and it’s helping me score runs both off the front foot and the back foot.”
The TNPL final will take place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on August 4, Sunday.
