India’s veteran off-spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, revealed that after IPL 2024, he wanted to go ‘bigger’ in his game. While Ashwin is quite famous for his magical spin, in the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League, he has become a force to reckon with, not just with the ball but also with the bat. Under Ashwin’s captaincy, Dindigul Dragons have made it to the final of TNPL 2024, where they will play Shahrukh Khan’s Lyca Kovai Kings.

Ravichandran Ashwin became the third-highest run-scorer for his team, demonstrating an innovative use of sweeps against the left-arm pacers. He credited his expanded batting prowess to the last edition of the IPL.

“Obviously, in the last IPL, I felt like I needed to widen my game and broaden my horizons square of the wicket because I know I can hit the ball down the ground, and I know that I can use my feet. I had to ask myself if I wanted to explore other options. If I can ask that question and find an answer, it gives me a new avenue to explore and keeps me interested in the game,” Ravichandran Ashwin shared while addressing the media ahead of the TNPL 2024 final.

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Hard work on his batting is paying off for Ashwin; his 200 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 167 for TNPL is testimony to the fact. At 37, this is Ashwin’s first full season at the TNPL, and he has just expanded his range as a batter. Ashwin, known for his ability to find fences, was even promoted up in the batting order for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and utilizing his batting skills.

57(35) & 0/33(4) in Eliminator.
69*(30) & 1/27(4) in Qualifier 2.
52(46) & 0/13(4) in Final.

RAVICHANDRAN ASHWIN, CAPTAIN LEADING BY EXAMPLE IN THE BIG STAGE IN TNPL 💪 pic.twitter.com/Mo7Z28YxeY

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 4, 2024

This was a strategic move that was seen to reduce the pressure on the finishers when they came out to bat. Lyca Kovai Kings’ skipper Shahrukh Khan also pointed out to his development during his time with the IPL side Gujarat Titans. He worked a lot on his batting against spinners.

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“When I was with Gujarat Titans, we had a camp for about a couple of months. I started working a lot on my spin game because they wanted me to bat up the order,” Shahrukh explained. “When you bat up the order, having concerns against spin, especially, opponent teams would bring in spinners when I come out to bat. Their role was to help me improve my spin game, and it helped. The front press I’m doing in this TNPL is quite obvious now, and it has helped me to score off the front foot and the back foot as well.”

The final of the TNPL is scheduled to be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, August 4.