Ravichandran Ashwin believes MS Dhoni\u2019s wicketkeeping is the best he has ever seen, going so far as to say he hasn\u2019t encountered another player who works with the same instinct and precision behind the stumps, particularly when facing spin. Ashwin, who spent years sharing dressing rooms with Dhoni in India and later at Chennai Super Kings, pointed out that while Dhoni\u2019s captaincy is widely celebrated, the real difference for him lay in the details\u2014quick hands, calm decision-making and a mindset that made bowlers feel in total control.<\/p>\n
Speaking on JioStar\u2019s \u201cThe Ravichandran Ashwin Experience,\u201d Ashwin said, \u201cHis glovework has always amazed me. People talk a lot about his captaincy, and rightly so\u2014the titles speak for themselves. But for me, two things stand out\u2014one, how good a middle-order batter he was, someone who could take the game deep and finish it. And the second is his keeping against spinners. I haven\u2019t seen anyone else like him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashwin also underscored how Dhoni\u2019s approach as a wicketkeeper was not about micromanaging. Instead, he described a hands-off style that empowered the bowler to trust his own plan and execute it without second thoughts. Ashwin recalled, \u201cHe never set the field for me. I would set my own field, and he would just say, \u2018Don\u2019t double-guess. Don\u2019t pre-empt. If you get hit, it\u2019s fine. If someone takes a risk, let it be. Just bowl to your field.\u2019 He trusted that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking back on key moments, Ashwin remembered dismissing Chris Gayle in the 2011 IPL final with a three-ball duck, crediting Dhoni for taking a sharp catch that came at a crucial time. Ashwin said, \u201cYou can talk about the set-up and the dismissal, but how well MS took that catch. It wasn\u2019t easy.\u201d<\/p>\n
From there, Ashwin broadened the conversation to his long IPL journey and the way different franchises shaped him. With 187 wickets in 221 matches across an IPL career running from 2009 to 2025 and involving five franchises, Ashwin admitted he couldn\u2019t quite make Punjab Kings feel like \u201chis\u201d team, despite leading them in 2018-19. He explained that while he gave his best, the squad-building process didn\u2019t fully revolve around him in the way he had hoped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Punjab picked me in 2018, I knew I was moving on\u2026 I spent two years there and honestly gave it everything,\u201d Ashwin said. \u201cBut I have a slight feeling that I couldn\u2019t make that team my own. At an auction, you get the chance to build your team\u2026 the team couldn\u2019t quite be built around me. I may not have achieved much as a Captain, but the learnings were immense.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that his spell with Rajasthan Royals was the most rewarding chapter of his franchise career. Ashwin said, \u201cI spent three years there, and that stint helped me make a comeback to the Indian team. The way RR utilised me was first-class, and I enjoyed my cricket there like nowhere else.\u201d He then pointed to one lingering disappointment from that period: \u201cMy only small regret is that I couldn\u2019t win a title with RR\u2026 That was one small regret.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashwin also revisited another contentious IPL talking point from his time as Punjab captain\u2014an incident involving Jos Buttler and a non-striker run-out. He maintained that he did nothing wrong, arguing that the governing body\u2019s laws already allow for such situations and that intent should not be questioned when the game\u2019s regulations are followed. \u201cIf the ICC felt this was an honesty problem, they wouldn\u2019t keep it in the rules. If you need two runs off one ball and you start running early, whose fault is it?\u201d Ashwin said.<\/p>\n
He continued, \u201cPeople say I did it to win. Of course, I did it to win. What is there to be ashamed of? After I ran him out, I told the team\u2026 \u2018don\u2019t worry about the reaction, I will handle the media, we just have to win.\u2019 And we won. So, there is no issue of character in this.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ravichandran Ashwin believes MS Dhoni\u2019s wicketkeeping is the best he has ever seen, going so far as to say he hasn\u2019t encountered another player who…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7120,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Ashwin Praises Dhoni\u2019s Spin Wicketkeeping in IPL Clash","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Ashwin heaps praise on MS Dhoni\u2019s spin wicketkeeping as CSK outplays MI, highlighting quick hands, instincts and calm decisions behind the stumps.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n