The veteran Indian spinner, R Ashwin is one of the rarest kinds of cricketers who has no hesitation when it comes to experimenting. The seasoned campaigner recently became the first player to retire out in the IPL. He used it as a tactic so that Riyan Parag come to the crease with 10 balls remaining and score big. R Ashwin had earlier become the first one in the IPL to effect a run out of a non-striker for backing up too far when he had dislodged the bails to dismiss Jos Buttler in 2019.

Recently, during a conversation with Sportskeeda, former India batter Mohammed Kaif recalled an interesting incident involving the off-spinner. Ashwin, who previously was a part of the Delhi Capitals, bowled almost three hours in an optional practice session after having a bad day at work.

Mohammad Kaif recalled, “I remember the previous IPL’s first half being hosted in the country. The first game was at the Wankhede and he leaked many runs. It was an optional practice the next day. Players who had played the previous game had an option to rest. But Ashwin was with me on the bus. I asked him, ‘What happened? Today is just an optional session’. But he said, ‘I want to get my length right’.”

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Mohammad Kaif had high praises for R Ashwin, who finished as the highest wicket-taker in the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) cycle with 71 scalps. Kaif was a part of the Delhi Capitals’ support staff between 2019 and 2021. He further revealed how Ashwin is always looking forward to adding new things to his skill-set. Ashwin was bought by Rajasthan Royals for ₹5 crore in the February auction.

Explaining the same, Mohammad Kaif said, “He also spoke about doing too many shoots. You have many commitments in the IPL due to sponsors, and Ashwin maybe wasn’t ready for the first game. He felt he was too busy in shoots and didn’t spare time for his bowling. He was on the bus… and Ashwin bowled for almost three hours in the nets. He kept bowling and made the corrections. Right in the next game, he performed to his very best.”

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He concluded, “After a poor show in the first game, Ashwin admitted that he wasn’t in his routine, and said he gave too much time to the team shoots. Ashwin always thinks about his bowling and the correction he needs to do. He always looks to work on new things and keeps adding variations in the net sessions. He was also trying to bowl a delivery that didn’t bounce much due to its low trajectory. He keeps adding new things, that’s why he is such a big name.”