Ravichandran Ashwin has been a key part of the Rajasthan Royals’ success since last year’s Indian Premier League. The senior spinner played a major role in helping them reach the IPL 2022 final for the first time since they won their first title in 2008. As head coach Kumar Sangakkara assembled one of the most well-rounded squads in the IPL mega auction in 2022, they could not find a specialist all-rounder. That’s when they began to make use of Ashwin’s batting talents more often than not.
RR used Ashwin as an all-arounder, having him bat in virtually all of the top 7 positions to arrest collapses, keep the left-right combination, and have quickfire cameos. The all-rounder has performed as expected on most occasions.
Let’s look at three instances where RR’s experiment with Ashwin has paid off:
3) 50 (38) against Delhi Capitals, IPL 2022
After Jos Buttler’s early dismissal, Rajasthan Royals promoted Ravichandran Ashwin to boost their powerplay batting. Devdutt Padikkal provided excellent support, and the pair shared a fifty-run partnership. Ashwin targeted Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur, blasting away to score his first IPL half-century. His 38 ball 50 runs helped the RR post an impressive total of 160/6 against the Delhi Capitals.
2) 40 (23) against Chennai Super Kings, IPL 2022
Many eyebrows were raised when Rajasthan Royals (RR) promoted Ravichandran Ashwin up the order for a must-win game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2022. CSK, already out of the tournament, had nothing to lose, but RR had everything to gain, as a victory here would guarantee them a place in the top two, giving them two chances to reach the final.
Rajasthan was struggling at 76/3 in the 12th over. Desperate for quick runs to keep the run rate in check, the team decided to gamble on Ashwin. He kept playing his shots despite wickets falling around him, particularly targeting Matheesha Pathirana and Prashant Solanki. He finished with a quickfire 40 off 23 balls, helping his team win the match.
1) 30 (22) against Chennai Super Kings, IPL 2023
After Paddikal and Buttler resurrected the innings, Rajasthan lost two quick wickets and promoted Ravichandran Ashwin to halt the collapse. The experienced all-rounder slowly found his footing, stitching together 47 runs with Buttler to set the stage for Shimron Hetmyer to take on the CSK bowlers late in the innings. His 30 off 22 proved the difference, as RR won a thrilling last-ball encounter by three runs. Ashwin also contributed two crucial wickets and 25 runs in 4 overs, earning him the Player of the Match award for his impressive all-round performance.
