India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was on Monday named captain of the Kings XI Punjab side for the upcoming IPL edition, a shot in the arm for the spinner who has lost his spot in the national limited-overs side.
Ashwin, 31, is among the leading spinners in Tests across the world but has fallen down the pecking order in India’s limited-overs setup, with Virat Kohli preferring wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. Also, his ‘home’ franchise of Chennai Super Kings did not retain his services for the 11th edition of the T20 league, with Punjab securing his signature instead.
Ashwin had earlier revealed he was disappointed at not being part of the Chennai family. “I was a tad disappointed because I have been there for the last 10 years. Literally, I have owned that space around Chepauk. Every time I came on to bowl, the kind of roaring and cheering I got will always stick on to my head,” Ashwin had said.
But not only has he found a new home in Punjab, he has been named captain of the team. “There is no additional pressure on me as such. I first led my state side in first-class cricket when I was 21. I have done it in the past and I am sure that I will enjoy the challenge,” Ashwin said about his appointment.
We have a new #KingOfTheNorth! Sheron, give a big welcome to the Protector of the Realm! Our new captain, @ashwinravi99! #LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi pic.twitter.com/pKyHeTvCls
— Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) February 26, 2018
Kings XI mentor Virender Sehwag said the management decide to go with Ashwin for the leadership role and not veteran batsman Yuvraj Singh as the spinner suited their long-term plans.
“Most of our fans said Yuvraj Singh was the best choice. But I was looking at someone different. I always thought that a bowler should be made the captain. I am a big fan of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Kapil Dev,” Sehwag said.
“I thought a bowler would be the best candidate for captaincy. Yuvraj Singh was there in our minds. But a lot of votes from our support staff and owners went to Ashwin.”
