R Ashwin is a champion bowler today and the reason for that is MS Dhoni's 15-year-old advice

Ravichandran Ashwin is a modern day great. The man has 516 Test wickets to his name. He has the most by an Indian and is third among active players. When James Anderson retires in a few days, he will be second. But if there’s anyone Ashwin is grateful to the most, it is none other than MS Dhoni. Ashwin played under Dhoni for CSK in the IPL and for the first five to six years, Dhoni was his Team India captain.

As far as Ashwin is concerned. Dhoni gave him important advice 15 years back and that shaped him as a bowler over the years. Dhoni told him to be ‘funky’ and always try new things. That advice is something Ashwin at 37 still sticks to. It’s worked wonders for him over the last decade.

"He always said, your greatest thing, the greatest strength is to try new things, to be funky. So, do not change that for anybody else. I think I told it in that book launch also. I met him in Dubai after a game between Delhi against CSK and I asked him, 'how you find it'. I have developed that back spin. He said, 'you are always like that. It has been your strength. Remember, you continue to be funky. Remember, you continue to work on your variations'. I was like, this was what he told me 15 years ago," Ashwin told RevSportz.

"I think Dhoni, for the first one year, did not know that I existed. I do not think he knew or maybe he knew and he did not really, that's Dhoni. I have known him for almost 15-16-17 years from close quarters and with him, I find what he was in 2008-09 is exactly how he operates in 2024. That is fascinating for me and I remember that game in 2010 where he got hit by Shane Bond on his arm, I think at Eden Gardens. I got a wicket. I got Bond out in that game but he gots hit on his arm and he went out of the side. But I have begun the IPL reasonably well. This is supposedly going to be my first full year in the IPL, and he went out and Suresh Raina led the side. I think they have probably slightly different views in terms of how they handle people. I did not bowl inside the Powerplay. I bowled slightly later because Mutthiah Muralitharan and I were playing in the same team and I ended up bowling at death in Bangalore. I have not had a good time. I had let the team down on three occasions. After that, Dhoni led. But as soon as he came back to captain the side, he picked up the puzzle," he added.

"I think he said, 'I want that guy back'. I came back and he again used me with the new ball because he used me inside the Powerplay against Adam Gilchrist and I got him out in Chennai. And he used me again in those same roles and continuously used me like that for several years to follow. He used me inside the batting Powerplay, even when I played for India. So, I think that is quite a fascinating sort of a belief that he had and he kept it very simple when he told me things," Ashwin went on to say.

Over the years, Ashwin grew under Dhoni both in the IPL and for India. The seeds that were sown by ‘Thala’ all those years back yielded dividends for Team India in the coming years. For that we shall always be grateful. Dhoni has long retired from international cricket and Ashwin is in the twilight of his career. By the time he leaves, his legacy will be second to none.