MS Dhoni massive influence, wanted his attention in IPL: R Ashwin.

R Ashwin got his contract with CSK, one among the foremost successful IPL sides, in 2008 and said the stint with CSK shaped his career.

MS Dhoni-Ashwin

Premier Indian off-spinner R Ashwin has described Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a “massive influence” on his career, revealing that at the start of his IPL stint, he was driven by an intense desire to urge the previous captain’s attention.

Ashwin got his contract with CSK, one among the foremost successful IPL sides, in 2008 and said the stint with CSK shaped his career.

“IPL and CSK may be a stage that everybody wants. on behalf of me it had been more about recognition. MSD didn't know who Ashwin is, (Matthew) Hayden and (Muttiah) Muralithan didn't know who Ashwin is. the primary thing that came to my mind was that ‘I will show these folks that Ashwin is here’,” Ashwin told Harsha Bhogle on ‘Cricbuzz in Conversation’.

“I don’t realize it was being foolish or arrogance but that was how i used to be made. Nobody was giving me an opportunity that Ashwin will play alongside Muralitharan or before Muralitharan. I thought, i will be able to get there before him at some point ,” he added.

Ashwin said Dhoni, who led CSK, had “massive influence” on him and therefore the only thanks to impress him was by troubling him within the nets.

“I got the attention of Hayden, Jacob Oram, and Stephen Fleming while bowling to them at the nets. They were finding it difficult to face me within the first year (2008) but I had not caught the attention of MSD,” he said.

“I never had massive interactions with him. it had been getting to the nets and getting MSD…he was hitting Muralitharan out of the park and that i thought, if I bowl better than him, I met get to play before Murali.

” I got his attention once I got him during a Challenger trophy and celebrated sort of a crazy kid,” he recalled.

After that, Ashwin said during CSK’s match against Victoria Bushrangers within the now defunct Champions League, he volunteered to bowl the Super Over and Dhoni gave him the ball without hesitation.

Ashwin didn't fare well and ended up conceding 23 runs. The off-spinner said when Dhoni walked past him after the match, he only said that, “you should have bowled the carrom ball.”

“MS always maintained that you simply are exceptionally skilful and you ought to keep doing what you are doing .”

Ashwin has been very successful against the left-handers as 189 of his 365 wickets are of southpaws. Ashwin credited his engineering background and advice from Duncan Fletcher for the success.

“He made a press release that changed cricket. He said it’s all about geometry and left it at that. Understanding angles (engineering background) has given me edge over others,” he said.