Club Cricket Enthusiasts Witness Ashwin’s Batting Prowess in TNPL
Veteran offspinner R Ashwin is expanding his repertoire as a batter in the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). At 37, Ashwin is showcasing his versatility in his first full TNPL season, scoring 200 runs at a blistering strike rate of 167 across eight innings.
Ashwin, who often bats up the order for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL to provide their finishers a suitable entry point, has been working on playing boundary shots square of the wicket. This tactic has paid rich dividends, as evident from his performance in the Qualifier 2 against Idream Tiruppur Tamizhans at Chepauk. The experienced campaigner dismantled left-arm fingerspinners with a barrage of reverse sweeps, particularly scoring 28 off just nine balls against R Sai Kishore at a strike rate exceeding 300.
“You can even ask Shahrukh Khan about it. How does he do power-hitting… how do you hit the ball through the off side and leg side? It’s all about repetitions, and understanding angles and triggers,” Ashwin explained, emphasizing the importance of consistent practice and exploring new avenues to keep oneself engaged with the game.
Aspiring cricketers like Dindigul Dragons’ left-arm fingerspinner P Vignesh and Tiruppur’s offspinning allrounder Mohamed Ali, both of whom missed out on the Under-19 World Cup squad, have also impressed in the TNPL. Ashwin urged the next generation to embrace failures and continuously upgrade their skills, citing the examples of Vignesh and Ali.
Meanwhile, Lyca Kovai Kings captain Shahrukh Khan, who has often struggled against spin, has been working on a technical tweak – a trigger movement where he pushes his weight forward – to become a more well-rounded batter. Kovai will face Dindigul Dragons in the TNPL final, and Shahrukh is determined to bring out his team’s “best cricket” in their quest for a three-peat.
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