Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has recently addressed the label of being an “overthinker” associated with him, asserting that it was created to undermine his performance. Despite his remarkable achievements in Indian Test cricket, Ashwin has never been given the opportunity to captain or serve as vice-captain throughout his ten-year career. With his surprise exclusion from India’s playing XI for the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) squad, Ashwin openly confronted the perceptions that have hindered his progress.
Ashwin directly challenged the “overthinker” tag, emphasizing that it was devised to impede his development and restrict him from assuming leadership roles within the Indian cricket team. He voiced his frustration, pointing out that when you know you have limited opportunities, it is natural to feel overwhelmed and analyze every aspect of your role. He highlighted instances where his name was overlooked for leadership positions during overseas tours, suggesting that the label had affected his chances.
Ashwin expressed, “Many individuals promoted and portrayed me as someone who overthinks. When you know you’ll only get two games, it’s natural to be overwhelmed and overanalyze because it’s part of my role… The label of being an overthinker was deliberately designed to undermine me, isn’t it?” He also emphasized situations where his name wasn’t given priority for leadership roles while touring overseas.
Following Virat Kohli’s resignation from the Test captaincy in 2022, Ashwin emerged as one of the most experienced players in the Indian team. However, he was not considered as a potential captain, with Rohit Sharma appointed to the role and KL Rahul as vice-captain. In the absence of both, Jasprit Bumrah led the team during the off-season test against England last year, with Rishabh Pant as his deputy.
While Ashwin possesses two years of captaincy experience in the Indian Premier League (IPL), leading the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in 2018 and 2019, his team failed to reach the playoffs in both seasons. In 2020, Ashwin was traded to the Delhi Capitals, where he played under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant.
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Expressing his disappointment, Ashwin questioned the rationale behind the lack of consideration for his leadership capabilities despite his experience and expertise. He highlighted the success he has achieved as a cricketer and mentioned that the “overthinker” label was a deliberate attempt to undermine him. Ashwin believes that it is unjust to judge him based on this label without acknowledging his contributions and potential as a leader.
