Rajasthan Royals’ Ravichandran Ashwin recorded his maiden IPL half-century on Wednesday, against his former franchise Delhi Capitals at the DY Patil Stadium. Ashwin scored 50 runs off 38 balls, after walking in at number 3, setting up the base for RR’s final total of in excess of 150 on a pitch that wasn’t easy to bat on.
During his innings, while facing one of Kuldeep Yadav’s deliveries, Ashwin got himself into a hilarious batting pose that left everyone in splits. As Kuldeep was about to bowl his delivery from over the wicket, Ashwin crouched very lower than his usual batting stance.
He walked across and covered his off-stump with his back leg, before bringing his hands, holding the bat, to even below the knee level, almost meeting with his ankle and boots closer to the ground! His head was even aligning with wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant’s head who was shrinking down in his normal keeping position.
Here, take a look at Ashwin’s unusual batting stance:
Stance by Ravi Ashwin. pic.twitter.com/pwbCTe7j31
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 11, 2022
Fans found it hilarious and dished out plenty of jokes. Here are some of them:
Ashwin is so humble. Very down to earth guy
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) May 11, 2022
nora fatehi got some competition
— Sakariya stan account (@Coolperson671) May 11, 2022
He treats IPL as an experiment lab !
— 𝔾𝔸𝕌ℝ𝔸𝕍 (@a_gaurav19) May 11, 2022
Love his innovations & experimentations. Proper way of living a life
— Arun Singh (@CA3AS) May 11, 2022
Pocha bhi lagaade bhai gandi ho rkhi pitch
— Tanishq
(@ItsMeTanishq) May 11, 2022
(@ItsMeTanishq) — Jay (@itsJayanth_) May 11, 2022
Isne har din kuch na kuch atrangi kaam karna hi hai https://t.co/oGYKegwxky
— S.Triyambak Patro (@Triyambak_CA) May 11, 2022
Ash Anna being down to earth
— Ashwin Simon (@ashwin_simon21) May 11, 2022
Ashwin walked in at number 3, after the fall of Orang Cap holder Jos Buttler’s wicket as early as in the third over. Without wasting any time, wanting to maximize the powerplay, Ashwin took down medium-pacer Shardul Thakur for a couple of fours before walloping spinner Axar Patel for a four and down the ground six.
At the end of the powerplay, Ravichandran Ashwin was 21 from 13 balls and RR 43/1. Delhi, though, managed to tighten things for a while with Jaiswal’s wicket and a few cheap overs. Ashwin broke that rut hammering Kuldeep for his second six before Padikkal reined into Axar for two maximums.
With a boundary to seamer Chetan Sakariya, Ashwin brought up the 50-run stand and soon, three balls later, notched up his first half-century in the IPL – which took him 72 innings to get there – before getting out to Mitchell Marsh trying to hit another six.
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