Ravichandran Ashwin, star spinner for the Rajasthan Royals (RR), met Delhi Capitals (DC) director of cricket Sourav Ganguly on Thursday during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
Ravichandran Ashwin felt joy meeting Ganguly face-to-face. He appreciated Dada, thanking him for motivating many cricketers. The 37-year-old posted a picture of their smiling encounter on Instagram, with this caption:
‘Always a delight to meet the great man. He inspired a generation through his leadership.”
Ravichandran Ashwin
Sourav Ganguly captained India across formats. In total, he led the team 195 times. Out of those matches, Ganguly won 97. He was the captain when India won the 2002 Champions Trophy. Only MS Dhoni (178 wins), Virat Kohli (135), and Mohammad Azharuddin (104) have led India to more victories than Ganguly.
As a batsman, Ganguly accumulated 18,575 runs across 424 matches. He struck 38 centuries and 107 half-centuries. From 2019 to 2022, he served as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Ganguly’s international success did not translate to the Indian Premier League. As a captain, he won 17 of 45 games. As a player, the left-hander scored 1349 runs in 59 matches, including seven half-centuries.
Sourav Ganguly’s Response to Ravichandran Ashwin’s Post During IPL 2024
Sourav Ganguly praised Ravichandran Ashwin in response to his Instagram post. The 51-year-old praised the off-spinner with becoming only the second Indian player to take 500 or more wickets in Tests.
Ganguly responded:
“Such kind words .. thank you .. 500 test wickets and on ur way to 600 .. do u realise how big is that ….”
Sourav Ganguly
Ashwin emerged on top in the recent home Test series versus England, clinching the most wickets. He grabbed 26 wickets across all five Tests. India handed England their first series loss under the new leadership of Stokes and McCullum, known for their “Bazball” approach. Ashwin also reached a significant milestone, completing 500 wickets in Test cricket during this series.
Ashwin’s last appearance was for RR against DC. The right-handed batter contributed 29 runs off 19 deliveries, striking three sixes. Despite his batting exploits, Ravichandran Ashwin could not claim a wicket, going wicketless from his three overs as RR secured a 12-run victory.