R Ashwin: ‘Sometimes I wonder if IPL is even cricket… We do end up practising on sets during ad shoots’

One of the biggest veterans in the ongoing Indian Indian Premier League, Ravichandran Ashwin, has detailed how the IPL’s growth caught even the players off guard.

The wily spinner recounted how when he entered the league, his only aim was to learn from international cricketers who were his teammates at various franchises.

In its 17th season currently, the Indian Premier League is hands down the biggest cricket league around the world. The advent of IPL and its instant success not only led to cricket leagues springing up around the world, but also inspired franchise-based leagues in various sports like football, badminton, kabaddi and volleyball in India.

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“No one envisaged the kind of growth that the IPL has had. I still remember a conversation I had with Scott Styris when we were both at CSK. He told me that when he was playing for the Deccan Chargers in the initial seasons of IPL, he did not think the IPL would last for more than two-three years. Initially, there was a big influx of money,” Ashwin said on the Club Prairie Fire podcast hosted by Michael Vaughan and Adam Gilchrist.

How IPL teams evolved in their thinking

Ashwin went on to say that because of the popularity of the league, cricketers have to do more than simply playing cricket.

“As a youngster coming into the IPL, I was only looking to learn from the big stars, I did not think about how the IPL would look 10 years down the line. I can say that, having been in the IPL for so many seasons, the IPL is huge. Sometimes I wonder if IPL is even cricket, because sport takes a backstage (during IPL). It’s so huge. We do end up practising in advertisement shoots and sets! That’s where the IPL has gotten to,” said Ashwin, who represents Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.

When Gilchrist asked Ashwin if there was a recent trend that he had noticed in the IPL, the spinner said: “Look over the years you’d think that the IPL is one tournament that is largely won at the auctions. I believe the auctions are a very important facet of this league, but the beauty of the IPL is that franchises have evolved into getting their teams right. There’s no one way to skin a cat. No one player is bigger than the team. No one slot is bigger than others. The teams invest wisely.”

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