Ravichandran Ashwin has recently added another feather in his cap, the 11th Player-of-the-series award, thus equalling the record which is already held by SP Muttiah Muralitharan. Thanks to his all-round performance in the Test series against Bangladesh, India won 2-0. As a result, Ashwin has officially equaled that total now. However, in the same article by The Indian Express, it has been stated that the brilliant off-spin bowler would have even gone past Muralitharan after his recent performance against Bangladesh barring one administrative error during the tour of West Indies last year.
In 2023, India toured West Indies to play a two-match Test series, which was the first series in the current cycle of ICC World Test Championship. The visitors emerged victorious by 1-0, and Ashwin emerged as the highest wicket-taker with a combined total of 15 wickets along with scoring a fifty. He was said to be a frontrunner for the player of the series award, but after the final test match played at Port of Spain, the second Test of the series, the award was not given out.
According to the publication, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has blamed an Indian firm that was responsible for the sponsorship management of the series. However, the firm in question states that the administration of the player of the series award is the responsibility of CWI. The prize however should have been awarded to the recipient even if not during the awards post-match ceremony.
At the end of the Bangladesh series, Ashwin picked up an impressive eleven wickets – sharing the top spot with Jasprit Bumrah. Yet, due to his remarkable century in the Chennai Test where he helped the team lift itself from a difficult position, he edged out his teammate from India to the award. The 38-year-old will next take to the field in a three-match Test series against New Zealand that gets underway on October 16. He is currently the second highest wicket-taker in the history of Test cricket for India having taken 527 wickets in 102 matches which includes 37 five-wicket hauls.
In addition to his achievements with the ball, Ashwin has also accumulated 3423 runs with the bat which include six centuries and 14 half-centuries.
