Mumbai: R Ashwin has lauded MS Dhoni – the leader, after he stepped down from India’s ODI and T20I captaincy on Wednesday. The world number one all-rounder and bowlers in Test cricket, who played under Dhoni’s captaincy for India and at the Chennai Super Kings and now recently at the Rising Pune Super Giants in the Indian Premier League, took to Twitter to pay tributes to the Jharkhand maverick.
Ashwin also talked fondly about how he and Dhoni had a long discussion before the Tamil Nadu tweaker bowled the final over in the final of Champions Trophy in 2013 in England. The Alastair Cook-led side needed 15 runs to win in the last over of the game which was curtailed to a 20-over a side affair after rain played spoilsport. India, who could only score 129 batting first, managed to hold their nerve to clinch the ICC Champions Trophy by beating the hometeam by 5 runs.
The Indian off-spinner, who is having a ball on the cricket field, recently received a lot of flak from some of the Dhoni supporters after he did not name Dhoni in his thank-you speech after he (Ashwin) was named as the ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC Test Cricket of the Year.
Ashwin had then thanked his wife Prithi, who gave birth to couple’s second child in December last year, Team India’s support staff, coach Anil Kumble and India’s Test skipper Virat Kohli. Some of the Dhoni fans slammed Ashwin saying:
Ashwin, who is not someone to hold back, took to Twitter to send a message saying not to tag his wife in the tweets as she had other good things to look after.
While neither Dhoni nor Ashwin talked about the issue, Ashwin lauding Dhoni’s contribution following the latter’s decision to hang his captaincy boots from ODIs and T20Is, the speculation of a rift between the two shall come to an end.
