Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has opined that it is acceptable not to captain the Indian cricket team, especially in the international context. Being a natural leader, Ashwin was never given a chance to lead the side in any of the limited-over games even when Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were also not available for the team.
And while Ashwin has previously led Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL), he felt he was fully capable of leading his nation. Although this wasn’t the choice he was presented with and should have been given, he says this had “no regrets”. On that, Ashwin seems to have missed the opportunity to be the captain of the team, but he does not have any issue with what has been done by the team management.
For some time now, fans and critics have questioned Ashwin’s leadership positions. Even when he was the most qualified in the list of outstanding players with all the qualities and experience needed in the organization, he was not given an opportunity to play in the organization.
“I am smart enough”- Ravichandran Ashwin
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Ravichandran Ashwin acknowledges that he had the ability to lead India in international cricket and would have relished doing so if given the opportunity, but he says he has “no regrets” about not doing so.
“It’s interesting; I am smart enough to know what works for me and what doesn’t for another person. When I started my career, I got first-class captaincy very early. I have won a few tournaments for my team. I believe I had it in me. But I did not have any regret that I didn’t go on to lead my country because these are not things that I can control. I have realized somebody needs to feel that I am good enough to lead the team, I need to get another 15-20 people to come along with me for me to be able to lead the team. It wasn’t meant for me in this particular chapter of my life” Ashwin said on the show.
“I don’t think this office or corporate felt I was good enough to lead the team. That doesn’t mean I am not good enough for leadership. Leadership, you don’t need a title to do that because, within me, I was a great leader in that group to be able to contribute to other people’s success. Looked out for zones of contribution. I did it to the best of my ability. I do not have regrets, but I do think it would have been something I would have enjoyed,” he added.
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