Ravichandran Ashwin opened up about a heated moment that occurred during Delhi Capitals’ match against Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2020 when Virat Kohli had a word with the umpires.
During the strategic timeout, Kohli was speaking to the on-field umpires when Delhi’s head coach Ricky Ponting seemed to have said something before the two engaged in a verbal fight.
Speaking on his YouTube show, Ashwin touched on the incident saying, “I had a back problem when I ran. It was a terrible pain. They took MRI scans and it was traced to a nerve pull to back. I went off after bowling. And you know Ricky, he won’t leave any fight. And when RCB questioned, he said we aren’t like that etc. Heat of moment”
On November 2, Ashwin dismissed the RCB skipper for the first time in IPL. On the scalp, Ashwin said, “I have always loved bowling to Virat. He would never take chances against me. Would not give his wicket; it was a matter of pride for him. MS Dhoni also, is like that. In Pune, 2016, I set him up with a ball outside off and it went really high and just as I was thinking, “Aaha, kohli wicket,” Ankit Sharma let the ball slip through his hands at extracover! Ai! What have you done!”
“From then on, people would keep saying Ashwin hasn’t taken a wicket of Kohli… and so when I finally took his wicket now, it was a happy and a pleasing moment; a personal justification of sorts,” he added.
“We enjoyed each other’s company in the dressing room and left from there to the other hotel. Wife and kids had already come to the new hotel and we are leaving from here straight to Australia tonight. Even the kids had to undergo a swab test. Once we reach Australia, we have a 15day quarantine.
Explaining why their food menu has been pre-decided for the first three days, Ashwin said, “They have already given a menu of food for the first three days in Australia. There are three items in that menu as options and just one item vegetarian. And I am a vegetarian. So no option for me! (laughs). We will bend backwards in hospitality’; it’s not like that overseas. If you want some particular food next week, order now itself!”
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