Former India off-spinner R Ashwin had the internet buzzing on Sunday with a light-hearted remark made during Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thalapathy Vijay\u2019s oath ceremony. Vijay, along with his political outfit Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, made a dramatic splash in the 2026 elections by winning 108 seats. After stitching together a coalition administration that also included the Congress, Vijay was appointed Chief Minister. During the ceremony, Ashwin noticed a security staff member whose look reminded him of Chennai Super Kings speedster Anshul Kamboj.<\/p>\n
Sharing the moment online, Ashwin wrote that duty always comes first, but that on a \u201cmust-win\u201d match day for CSK, the timing felt a little too much. He added that it was a day game and joked about hurrying to Chepauk, tagging Anshul Kamboj in the post.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuty always comes first, but on a must-win match day #CSKVLSG, it’s a bit too much. It’s a day game, get a cab & get to Chepauk ASAP, Anshul Kamboj. Big game,\u201d Ashwin posted on X.<\/p>\n
With the banter out of the way, the focus quickly shifted to the cricket. Chennai Super Kings, unchanged from their previous outing, won the toss and chose to bowl first against Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday.<\/p>\n
A win for CSK would be significant as they are placed sixth in the points table, and another victory would enhance their momentum heading into the playoffs. Lucknow, meanwhile, arrive in a far more confident mood after snapping a six-match skid with a nine-run triumph over the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru.<\/p>\n
Anshul Kamboj was also the subject of another playful post tied to Vijay\u2019s Assemble, with the caption suggesting that Kamboj had moved from the political spotlight back to the CSK squad for the LSG clash.<\/p>\n
After opting to field, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad explained the thinking behind the decision. He said the surface had been kept under covers and that rain was around, making it a straightforward call to bowl first on a red-soil wicket.<\/p>\n
Gaikwad added: \u201cThe wicket was under covers and there was rain around. The pitch does behave differently in day games, but we need to adapt well and then restrict them to a low score. Pretty positive on the way the last 7-8 games have gone for us. It’s been a good turnaround and we’ll look to stay positive.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Lucknow, captain Rishabh Pant confirmed a couple of changes to the playing XI. Josh Inglis and Avesh Khan were brought in, replacing Arshin Kulkarni and Mayank Yadav.<\/p>\n
Pant said: \u201cWe would have bowled first as well. We need to win all games, but we must be consistent and play some good cricket. We have had our moments and chances, but we didn’t finish it. We have to give 200% in every game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chennai Super Kings XI:<\/strong> Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmed, and Mukesh Choudhary.<\/p>\n Lucknow Super Giants XI:<\/strong> Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (captain & wk), Aiden Markram, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, and Digvesh Rathi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Former India off-spinner R Ashwin had the internet buzzing on Sunday with a light-hearted remark made during Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thalapathy Vijay\u2019s oath ceremony.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL News: R Ashwin Jokes at Vijay Oath Ceremony Buzz","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"R Ashwin\u2019s witty joke at Thalapathy Vijay\u2019s oath ceremony goes viral, sparking major buzz online as Tamil Nadu\u2019s new CM takes charge.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n