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Ravichandran Ashwin Experiments With Leg Spin In Irani Cup Ahead Of IPL 2018

R Ashwin will be leading Kings XI Punjab in Indian Premier League 2018 for the first time

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has officially become a bowler who refuses to fall in a bracket when he gets to attack. Ashwin is more like a right-arm unorthodox spin bowler given the number of variations he can incorporate in his bowling. The newly-appointed Kings XI Punjab skipper is currently playing in Irani Cup 2018 for Rest of India against Vidarbha.

On Day 1 of the Irani Cup match, Ashwin took just one wicket when he got the better of Vidarbha skipper and opener Faiz Fazal. Ashwin got Fazal’s wicket on the first ball of the 69th over. Only two wickets fell on Day 1 at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur.

Here’s the video posted by BCCI where Ashwin can be seen bowling leg spin without breaking a sweat —

Introducing R Ashwin, the leg spinner! https://t.co/v0IxIiXMZL

— Faizal Khan (@faizalkhanm9) March 14, 2018

The 31-year-old has had a few lethal variations up his sleeve over the years. He has bowled doosras, carrom balls which have troubled batsmen over the years. With IPL 2018, he will be looking to prove his worth in order to claim a spot in India’s limited overs side which has been occupied by wrist-spinners Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav and left-arm off-spinner Axar Patel.

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Ashwin will be donning the captain’s cap for the first time in IPL. He was roped-in for a whopping Rs 7.6 crore in IPL 2018 auctions. His previous franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) wanted to retain him through Right to Match (RTM) card but KXIP had the last laugh as they bid for him aggressively.

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He is the 10th bowler to take 100 wickets in IPL and would be looking to get past former Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan’s tally of wickets (102) in the first few games.