For most young Indian bowlers, MS Dhoni’s recall is a moment to remember. For Ravichandran Ashwin, it became a turning point that helped shape his early years with Chennai Super Kings.
Long before he became one of India’s premier match-winners, Ashwin was a young off-spinner trying to break into a strong CSK side. With Dhoni leading the team and Muttiah Muralitharan acting as the lead spinner, chances were limited and competition for overs was intense.
Ashwin made his IPL debut for CSK in 2009 against Mumbai Indians in Cape Town. It was an understated start. CSK opted to field, Ashwin didn’t get an over and with the chase ending in defeat, he wasn’t even required to bat.
At that stage, Ashwin was largely seen as a utility bowler rather than a regular starter. With Muralitharan consistently delivering in the middle overs, there was little room left for the young off-spinner who was still struggling to make his mark.
Reflecting on this period in an interview on Jiostar, Ashwin admitted that it took him a few years to fully understand the situation.
“This situation took me a long time to understand – at least six or seven years,” Ashwin said. “Actually, I had no other option. Muralitharan, a legend, was in that team. He came and took wickets easily in his four overs. So I didn’t get many chances.”
The release that changed the equation
Ashwin said the shift started during the Challenger Trophy match when he finally got the chance to play Dhoni.
He dismissed him twice, but it was his reaction to one of those goals that was left to him. Ashwin recalled how he celebrated the dismissal enthusiastically, prompting a reaction from Dhoni.
“I was celebrating that wicket a lot – and he was actually a bit upset,” Ashwin said.
According to Ashwin, Dhoni asked him why he was celebrating so much, to which the off-spinner gave a sincere reply.
“I told him, ‘Taking your wicket was my dream. If I get you out, I might get a chance in the CSK team.’
Ashwin eventually got the opportunity and the exchange became one of the first moments he remembers as significant in his journey with the franchise.
From fringe player to trusted option
Ashwin only featured in two matches in his debut IPL season, but his second appearance offered an early glimpse of what was to come. Against Punjab Kings, then Kings XI Punjab, he returned figures of 2 for 13 in a low-scoring win in spin form.
It was a humble beginning, but it marked the beginning of a gradual rise.
As Ashwin began to bowl more regularly in the middle overs, his role in the side became more defined. He said Dhoni played a key role in this development, often guiding him from behind the stumps and helping him through the phases of the innings.
“Many times when I bowled in the middle overs, he guided me from behind the stumps – he told me where to bowl, how to set it up,” Ashwin said.
This understanding has evolved into one of CSK’s most effective bowler-captain combinations, with Dhoni’s tactical input complementing Ashwin’s control and variation.
A message that remained in it
After years when Ashwin reached 500 Test wicketsHe said the first message he received was from Dhoni.
“He is not known for making phone calls – everyone knows that. He is not easily available. But his message came first,” Ashwin said. “It simply said, ‘Double it.’
For Ashwin, the message reflected the bond they have built over the years, starting with a brief post-wicket exchange and growing into a relationship based on trust.
While Ashwin said he cherishes many memories from that period, he singled out one as the highlight of his early CSK years: Chris Gayle’s dismissal in the 2011 IPL final.
But as Ashwin’s recollection made clear, the journey to this moment began much earlier, with a wicket, a lively celebration and an exchange that helped change the course of his IPL career.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
03 May 2026 16:10 IST
