IPL 2022: T20 Not Exact Place For Spinners To Play With Ego Of Batters, Says Rajasthan Royals Spinner Ravi Ashwin

IPL 2022: Ashwin said that the T20 format has laid more emphasis on the fact that Cricket is a team sport. It is the team performance and not an individual performance that runs in the mind of cricketers.

New Delhi: Ahead of the clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals, Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said that as a spinner, he was not sure if T20 is the right place to play with the egos of batsmen. In a conversation with the Times of India, Ashwin said that the T20 format has laid more emphasis on the fact that Cricket is a team sport. It is the team performance and not an individual performance that runs in the mind of cricketers while playing a T20 tournament.

In the interview, he was accompanied by fellow Rajasthan Royals batsman Jos Buttler. They also discussed the 2019 Mankad incident between the two. For the unversed, Jos Buttler who was then playing for Rajasthan Royals got mankaded by Ashwin who was playing for Kings XI Punjab. Buttler said that he has been run out in the same way twice in his career and he has learnt his lesson.

Ashwin however said that he wished that Mankad was accepted as a ‘legitimate form of dismissal’. It is not a question of character assassination, he added. The cricketing community has seen polarising views on whether Mankad should be considered a legitimate form of running out or not.

‘Cricket as big as film industry’

Ashwin also said that cricket is ‘as big as film industry’. He told TOI that players put their bodies at risk to play for their team, pride and country. The emotions are naturally high. But both players agreed that today’s players do not carry grudges outside the cricket ground.

Buttler said that he held no grudges against Ashwin and is excited that they are on the same team.

Will Call Curtains The Day I Lose Passion: Ashwin

Talking about the Covid-19 pandemic, Ashwin said that they stayed overseas for five to six months during the pandemic for tournaments. It gave the players a chance to reflect upon their lives and come back stronger and more eager. According to TOI, he added that he is taking one day at a time and enjoying the game.

He further stated that he wants to be better the next day and will call it quits the day he loses his interest in the game or in getting better.