As R. Ashwin completed his quota of four overs with an economy rate of nine — the best in the first T20 between India and West Indies that saw many a batting record being shattered — a fan from New Delhi, Romi Kocher, dwelled on a different topic on Twitter. “@ashwinravi99 good to see u that today ur not delivered any no ball.” It was an obvious attempt to take a dig at the off-spinner who had overstepped in his previous T20 International and gave a reprieve to Lendl Simmons, the hero of Windies’ spectacular chase in the World T20 semi-final in Mumbai.
The tweet would have gone unnoticed in the sea of feeds if not for Ashwin’s response, loaded with sarcasm. “@rkromiko Wren and Martin would have been proud of you,” Ashwin hit back, targeting the fan’s proficiency, rather lack of it, in English. It wasn’t a stray incident. With witty remarks, Ashwin fends off his detractors almost on a day-to-day basis. In the face of increasing headwind of public scrutiny on social media, Ashwin is one of a few gritty sportspersons who prefer to take the bull by its horns. He means no harm, but if you poke him “you will get it back”. “I don’t go to anybody and ask for trouble. If someone provokes me unnecessarily, I will never hold back. All I expect is basic human respect,” Ashwin said in a recent chat.
The life of an Indian cricketer has never been this difficult as the advent of social media has given the public free access to the life of a celebrity. And they too know that entering a public domain is a double-edged sword as it could help improve the brand value and at the same time, expose them to ‘cyber bullies’. A chunk of his 2.5 million Twitter followers are ‘trollers’ who crop up time and again with ‘memes’ and stats to ridicule the world No 1 all-rounder. However, Ashwin remains active and doesn’t shy away from posting his strong views on critical social issues either.
An engineering graduate, Ashwin is a voracious reader. One of the most articulate speakers in the current team, Ashwin also has a knack for handling the media. No wonder then that he has been M.S. Dhoni’s go-to man. Not just when the chips were down on the field, Ashwin has delivered for Dhoni at critical press conferences. “In the aftermath of the IPL betting and fixing controversies, Ashwin was Dhoni’s preferred choice in handling media and he would convey what Dhoni wanted, without courting controversy,” tells a former member of the support staff. Away from the public gaze Ashwin, however, “acts like a cat on a hot tin roof”.
“I like to repeat a lot of routines on the morning of a Test match. I wake up at 5.30 am and give myself a lot of time. I listen to music, do yoga and take a long shower. These are the routines that I follow and they put me in the right balance for the challenge ahead,” said Ashwin. Ashwin, who plays table tennis and badminton for recreation, is a passionate follower of the careers of Saina Nehwal and P.V. Sindhu. Inspired by Sindhu’s silver medal show at Rio, Ashwin said he would love to see his one-year-old daughter, Akhira, play badminton when she grows up.
Starting the season as No 1 Test bowler in the world, Ashwin’s dream run got further impetus in the recently concluded West Indies tour where he won his sixth man of the series award, the most by an Indian. Ashwin says he didn’t embark on his cricket journey wanting to break records. “But the pursuance for excellence has always been inside me. When I came through the ranks of club cricket in Tamil Nadu and then Ranji, I was pretty much an all-rounder. I batted at four and bowled a lot of overs. I framed a mindset that when I finish my career, I should not look back at one of those Test days and feel I could have given more,” he added.
The modern day cricketers do not have the luxury of long breaks. And fitness is of paramount importance, especially for someone like Ashwin who plays in all the three formats. His workout regime involves lifting weights. “I have not been blessed with the best athletic body, so I put the extra yards in. Weightlifting has brought great results for me,” he said.
