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Dindigul Dragons captain Ravichandran Ashwin has admitted that he has been working hard on getting more versatile with the bat in hand. While the bowling all-rounder has always been good with strokes down the ground, his improved boundary-hitting ability square of the wicket has been on display in the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2024.
Dindigul Dragons will take on Lyca Kovai Kings in the final of TNPL 2024 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, August 4. Lyca Kovai Kings won Qualifier 1 to book their place in the summit clash, while Dindigul Dragons emerged victorious in the Eliminator and Qualifier 2.
Apart from claiming nine wickets, Ashwin has also scored 200 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 166.67. What has stood out about the 37-year-old in TNPL 2024 is his boundary-scoring strokes square off the wicket.
Speaking ahead of the final against Lyca Kovai Kings, the Dindigul Dragons captain opened up on his impressive batting performance in TNPL 2024. He said (as quoted by ESPNcricinfo):
"Look, everything is work in progress, right? You can even ask Shahrukh Khan [Lyca Kovai Kings captain] about it. How does he do power-hitting… how do you hit the ball through the off side and leg side? It's all about repetitions, and understanding angles and triggers.
"Obviously, in the last IPL, I felt like I needed to widen my game and widen my horizons square of the wicket because I know I can hit the ball down the ground, and I can use my feet. Do I want to explore other options is something I had to ask myself. So if I can ask that question and if I can find an answer, it gives me a new avenue to explore and keep myself interested in the game," he went on to add.
Ashwin has scored 800 runs in the IPL in 94 innings at a strike rate of 118.52, with one half-century.
Ashwin's batting performance in TNPL 2024
The Dindigul Dragons captain scored 45 off 20 balls, opening the innings in match number 13 against Chepauk Super Gillies in Coimbatore. Ashwin was the Player of the Match for his fifty in the Eliminator against Chepauk Super Gillies. The right-hander batter slammed 57 off 35 balls with the aid of four fours and as many sixes.
Ashwin also slammed an unbeaten 69 off 30 balls in Qualifier 2 against IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans. His knock included 11 fours and three sixes as Dindigul Dragons cruised home by nine wickets in a chase of 109.
