Saturday 30 July 2011
[Pic] Ravichandran Ashwin throws a ball during a training session
Ravichandran Ashwin throws a ball during a training session in Mumbai, India, on April 1, 2011.
Tuesday 26 July 2011
[PICS] Ravichandran Ashwin at his home
India has won eight of the 11 ODIs Ashwin has played in. He is now awaiting his Test debut.
Pics Source: The Hindu
Prince of spin - Ravichandran Ashwin
R. Ashwin, India's newest cricket sensation talks about the World Cup win, his inspiration and hobbies
When Ravichandran Ashwin gives me directions to his house, I ask for the nearest landmark. Little did I realise that his house is now a landmark in itself. A member of India's World Cup winning squad and instrumental in Chennai Super Kings' continuing dominance of the Indian Premier League, Ashwin is today a star. Everybody in the neighbourhood knows where exactly their hero lives. I just have to ask “Ashwin's house?” and people are more than happy to guide me, but not before enquiring with a gleam in their eyes whether I'm actually scheduled to meet the talented off-spinner.
His living room is occupied almost entirely by cricket paraphernalia. On display are stumps signed by the team, books, innumerable trophies and photographs of Ashwin with various cricketers. Of course, now there's also a large framed picture of the victorious champagne-soaked World Cup side from that memorable evening in Mumbai.
“The fact that this win will go down in history makes me cherish it,” says Ashwin, revealing that one of his most treasured moments with the squad came during the quarterfinal between India and Australia. “We were five wickets down. Everybody was huddled together in the dressing room and we were tense. Sachin (Tendulkar) was pacing up and down, trying to motivate us. I realised then what a close-knit team we were and that's when we knew we would win the Cup,” he narrates.
Ashwin, 24, has been playing cricket since he was eight. He opened the batting as well as bowling for his school (PSBB, K.K. Nagar) for its under-10 and under-12 teams, before switching over to St. Bede's. “I wanted to play all the time. In school I was an opening batsman and scored a lot of runs. School performances mattered a lot then. Vijay Kumar, my coach at St. Bede's, told me that I'd definitely play for India as an off-spinner,” he recalls.
Although managing competitive cricket and academics simultaneously is always tough, Ashwin didn't want to quit studying. The balancing act, especially when he enrolled himself in an engineering course, required a lot of effort. But constant success in the league and domestic circuit brought him to the attention of the national selectors. This resulted in the realisation of his dream to represent the country.
“I was picked for the T20 against Sri Lanka and right from then till now I have been in the team for every ODI. But the first match that I actually got to play in was an ODI against Sri Lanka in June 2010; till then I was just touring with the team.” Being part of the Indian team, he says, has been his greatest success yet. “When I got my Indian Team jersey, I wore it and took a couple of pictures in it,” he smiles, adding that he is lucky to be getting paid to do what he loves most.
Ashwin's first ODI didn't quite have a fairytale ending (India lost to Sri Lanka by six wickets). However he has been a lucky presence in the matches he has played so far. “Of the 11 ODIs I have played in, we have lost only three, while we won all the T20's I've played in.” With a rather impressive report card in the two versions of the game, what remains now is a Test debut, which he believes is the “king” of all forms of cricket. “Playing a test will be a dream come true. But I am not in a hurry. Results take care of themselves as long as you are honest about what you do. I am constantly trying to innovate and improve. I also love experimenting with my game.”
That apparently is not all he experiments with. “I also like trying out different hair styles…and experimenting with jeans – various styles and fits.” The towering bowler has a growing collection of printed T-shirts and flip flops. Each overseas tour sees him adding to his collection of shades and watches with fancy dials and funky bands. His other fascination is cars. “Jaguar and Audi are my dream cars.”
As the interview proceeds, I notice Ashwin is quite chatty and his sentences are often punctuated with a bright smile, unlike the serious, ‘angry young man' persona he brandishes on the field. “I am focussed on the game and maybe that's why people get this impression of me being stern. But actually I am told I have a decent sense of humour.” Ashwin shares a great rapport with Murali Vijay, Balaji, Badrinath and Ganapathi and they have a good time pulling each others legs. Talking of favourite cricketers he says he looks up to Anil Kumble and admires the fact that he stuck to basics and has rigid work ethics. Another favourite is Yuvraj Singh. “He has been though ups and downs but is back with a bang.”
So what does he do when he's not tormenting batsmen with the carrom ball? “I play tennis, I am on the PSP with my neighbourhood kids, I go on long drives… I am a foodie and Indian food tops my list. I like the new Amethyst, The Pasta Bar Veneto. But nothing beats watching movies at Sathyam with a tub of popcorn.”
Ashwin is currently employed with India Cements and his future plan is to become an entrepreneur and start an enterprise related to cricket. Until then, fulfilling the promise of being India's most valued spin bowler should keep him suitably occupied.
Source: The Hindu
Ravichandran Ashwin bowls for cancer awareness at Chennai
India’s cricket crazy populace might be far more accustomed to seeing Ravichandran Ashwin dishing up the doosra on the cricket field, but participants at a cancer awareness programme were bowled over by a verbal doosra that the young spinner tossed out at them. “If you know you’re a habitual smoker and that there’s a high risk of you being affected by cancer, why is it such a problem to come and have yourself checked?” he said and added, “I have to admit I did not know much about cancer till I heard these survivors recount their experiences.” Ashwin inaugurated a cancer awareness programme and free screening camp conducted by the Paterson Cancer Centre, at the Vijaya Health Centre yesterday morning. This initiative also coincides with the centre’s eighth anniversary celebration.
The psychological fear of what they might discover in a medical check-up prevents many from actually getting medical assistance early.
Ashwin recounted how his father, a former cricketer himself, has that mental block against health check-ups.
“Despite being a diabetic, my father is extremely stubborn and refuses to go for periodic health checks unless he is forced to do so,” he said.
“So I understand how scared most of you might be feeling at this point in time. But I assure you, whatever it is you may discover, it’s better that you know about it than stay ignorant.” Oncology experts also affirmed that a high number of ‘advanced stage’ cases they encountered was because the patients were reluctant and scared to get an early medical opinion.
Four ‘cancer ambassadors’ who had been cured of the dreaded disease delivered brief messages on their fight with cancer and emphasised how it is curable and preventable, in this day and age. K Sundarrajan, one of the better informed ambassadors even emphasised that checking the internet for a cure or easy fix had to be avoided and consulting the ‘right doctor’ was the only way.
During his interaction, Ashwin reflected on his personal experience with internet cures, “Being an only child, my mother fusses over me even if I have a minor ailment.
But in recent times, she goes online and checks the internet for cures for my symptoms and immediately follows it.” A practice that he will use with caution, he assured.
Ashwin, who towered above everyone else on stage, proclaimed that he “did not have a single negative cell in his body” and pledged that he would support the cause of cancer awareness in whatever way possible.
The camp is being conducted free of charge. It entails a comprehensive cancer screening process that includes an ultrasound, chest X-ray, besides the standard blood and urine workup. It will continue till July 20.
Monday 4 July 2011
[Photo] Ravichandran Ashwin cools himself in front of a vaporizer
Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin cools himself in front of a vaporizer during a practice session ahead of the World Cup Cricket Group B with Kenya in Chennai, India, Wednesday, March 16, 2011.
Saturday 2 July 2011
Karunanidhi felicitates Ravichandran Ashwin after World Cup 2011 win
Chief Minister M Karunanidhi felicitates the member of World Cup winning team, Ravichandran Ashwin during a felicitation ceremony in Chennai on May 05, 2011.The Tamil Nadu government awarded a some of Rs 3 crore to the Indian team for winning the World Cup 2011. (5 May, 2011)
Source: Indiatimes
Friday 1 July 2011
[PHOTO] Ravichandran Ashwin, Vijay & Raina with IPL 2011 Trophy
Chennai Super Kings owner Mr Gurunath Meiyappan (left) poses with the trophy along with Murali Vijay, Ravichandran Ashwin and Suresh Raina.
Source: CSK
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