Ravichandran Ashwin

The Indian Premier League has become a staple source of the two things that Indians keep very close to their heart - Cricket and Bollywood. It is this unique combination that has been working out for the League to flourish in India and all over the world for the past decade or so. One of the many players who have successfully carved their way to their respective national side has been Ravichandran Ashwin or 'Ash' as he is called affectionately by this teammates.

The offie was season not just in the IPL but also in the Champions T20 League while playing for Chennai. He was grabbing wickets in the Powerplay and the slog overs and was economical as well. Owing to his impressive showing, Ashwin earned his maiden-national call-up. He made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in June 2010 and the same month he represented India in the shortest format.

Later in the year, in a series against New Zealand at home Ashwin ended as the leading wicket-taker and was praised for his fine bowling. With Harbhajan Singh as India’s go-to spinner, Ashwin’s chances were limited but he did manage to seal a spot in India’s 2011 World cup squad. In November 2011, Ashwin finally received his Test cap in a series against West Indies. He had a memorable start to his Test career. On his Test debut at Delhi, Ashwin grabbed nine wickets and continued his sublime form in the next few games. In the third Test, he grabbed yet another 5-wicket haul in the first innings and scored his maiden Test ton, he followed that up with four more wickets in the second innings.

In his first Test series, Ashwin was named the Player of the Series. He excelled with the white ball as well and was a vital part of India's triumph at the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. In 2015, while playing against South Africa in the Freedom Trophy, he was the star performer for India. The following year while playing against New Zealand, Ashwin grabbed 27 wickets in 3 Tests. He was named the ICC Cricketer of the Year and the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year in 2016. However, Ashwin has not been able to replicate his performances in overseas conditions and found it tough to become a regular in the XI. Having said that, he remains an integral part of India’s Test squad.

After Chennai's two-year ban in the Indian Premier League, Ashwin played for Pune and Punjab and in the 2020 edition, Delhi bought him and retained him for the next season in 2021. In the mega auction of 2022, Ashwin was bagged by Rajasthan for INR 5 crores.