"It was like a slap in the face": R Ashwin Recalls 2010 CSK Experience

For Ravichandran Ashwin, the 2010 edition of the Indian Premier League was a harsh reality check. The off-spinner has said that getting dropped from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) that year served as a wake-up call for him.

During a podcast with cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar for ‘ESPNCricinfo’, Ashwin recalled the 2010 IPL when he was dropped from the CSK squad after two bad games.

“People thought that I think highly of myself but flattening of the curve happened when I played in the IPL. It was like a slap in the face like ‘listen boss you are not even here’.

“I thought bowling in a T20 game was much easier than bowling in a first-class game,” Ashwin said.

It was after a game against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru, when Robin Uthappa and Mark Boucher took him to the cleaners, that Ashwin’s confidence took a big hit.

“Robin Uthappa and Mark Boucher taught me harsh lessons as I bowled 14th, 16th, 18th and 20th over at RCB. That youth in me never told me that it was a challenge. I found it as an opportunity to pick wickets. I didn’t get wickets but went for 40 or 45 runs and put my team into a hole as the next game went into Super Over and we lost it and I was dropped from the squad. It felt like a hard slap,” the Tamil Nadu tweaker said.

“I was dropped, I vacated the hotel and was sitting at home. I thought that I deserved better as I was in the 30 probables for the 2010 World T20 in West Indies,” he said.

“Like I thought, why didn’t you back me (CSK). I did exceedingly well in first three games and I had just had two bad games. Anybody can be hit for a couple of games.”

Admitting that he had issues with Stephen Fleming, Ashwin said, "Actually, I had an issue with Stephen Fleming that he didn’t have a chat. I valued him so much and he didn’t have a chat. So I was sitting at home watching CSK games and making promises in my head that one day I will turn the tide."