In the Asia Cup 2014, Shahid Afridi struck two sixes against Ashwin in the final over. Star Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has returned to the Indian ODI squad after a gap of 21 months, marking his third appearance in an ODI World Cup.
The 37-year-old was brought in as a replacement for the injured Axar Patel, who couldn’t recover in time from his left quadriceps strain sustained during the Asia Cup 2023. Recently, Ashwin was reminded of the two sixes that former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi hit against him during the Asia Cup 2014.
Notably, in a crucial moment, with ten runs required off the last over, Ashwin was bowling against Pakistan while India needed just one more wicket to secure victory. However, Afridi’s consecutive sixes off Ashwin’s bowling led his team to chase down the target of 246 in Mirpur.
A Pakistan fan recalled these events to Ashwin, but in a heartwarming gesture, the Indian spinner ended up appreciating Afridi’s remarkable ability to strike the ball.
“Shahid Afridi Still remembers those two sixes,” a fan had written in reply to one of Ashwin’s posts on X. “Those were really good shots man. Really admired him as a great ball striker,” wrote the India cricketer in reply.
Those were really good shots man.
Really admired him as a great ball striker👌— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) September 30, 2023
It’s worth mentioning that Ashwin was the standout bowler in that match, capturing 3/44 in 9.3 overs. However, he ended up conceding two sixes to Afridi in the crucial last over, which ultimately resulted in India’s defeat. The cricketer from Chennai made a notable return to ODIs during the series against Australia, where he emerged as one of the top wicket-takers, sharing the second spot. He claimed four wickets in two innings with an average of 22 and an economy rate of 5.17.
Ashwin is set to participate in his third ODI World Cup
The experienced spinner will bring a wealth of knowledge to the ODI World Cup, having been part of the 2011 and 2015 World Cups. He has taken 17 wickets in ten matches in the tournament, with an average of 24.88 and an economy rate of 4.36.
Following the washout of their initial warm-up game against England, India will take on the Netherlands in their second warm-up match on October 3 in Thiruvananthapuram.
Under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, the team will then open their league campaign against Australia on October 8 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
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