Dublin Guardians captain and mentor Ravichandran Ashwin is determined to help grow Irish cricket

R Ashwin is known for his astute game reading abilities. He is a true student of the game. A deep thinker who specialises in outfoxing the best batters in the business. His foray into European cricket now sees him wearing two hats – that of team captain and mentor. When Ashwin was officially unveiled as the leader of the Dublin Guardians ETPL franchise, social media went into a tizzy. It’s not surprising at all that he was chosen to lead the team owned by another Indian legend – Rahul Dravid. The two have deep mutual respect and, as Ash put it – “share a special rapport.”

 "Rahul Bhai and I have developed a great bond over the last five years. I learnt a lot about leadership while playing under him, and I think he also got to know me well. We've shared a very special rapport," Ashwin said.

 Recalling how he once captained Dravid in a club championship final in Chennai over a decade ago, Ashwin feels their shared ethos will shape the culture of the Dublin Guardians and help the team achieve their fundamental goal – to contribute towards the growth of Irish cricket.

"We're trying to build a team that's united. By nature, we're individuals who strive for growth and want to improve every single day…We want to acknowledge the strong cricketing culture that already exists here, embrace it, and make as meaningful a contribution as we possibly can. We're very serious about making a difference and contributing towards Irish cricket.” Ashwin said.

 Ashwin’s sharp cricketing brain was analysing multiple strategies on the ETPL Draft Day, as the Guardians made their six picks. At the end of the day, the Guardians walked away with players of the calibre of Benjamin Calitz, George Dockrell, Matthew Hollard, Craig Young, Noah Croes and Chris Greaves. While he is very happy with the squad that the Guardians have managed to build, the one thing he would like to see happen differently in the ETPL is restoring the balance of the game and making it a more even contest between bat and ball. And that’s where the European conditions come into play.

"I wouldn't want to watch a game where one team scores 250 and the other falls short by five or ten runs. It's entertaining, but day after day, that's incredibly hard on bowlers…Every league should have its own identity, and I really hope the unique character that European conditions offer never goes away. We've picked our team with the local conditions firmly in mind, and we want to embrace them, " Ashwin further said.