Ravichandran Ashwin Shares How Sanjay Manjrekar’s Early Criticism Shaped His Fitness and Career
Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has shared details regarding his past relationship with cricket commentator Sanjay Manjrekar, explaining how early criticism regarding his physical conditioning motivated significant improvements in his training and performance.
What Happened
Speaking on JioHotstar’s show Cheeky Singles, Ravichandran Ashwin discussed a long-standing tension that began early in his international career following his first tour of Australia. At that time, Manjrekar wrote an article scrutinising Ashwin’s fitness and suggesting that it had a negative impact on both his bowling and fielding.
Ashwin revealed that reading the piece on his return journey left him feeling angry and hurt. Consequently, he avoided speaking with the commentator and maintained minimal contact for several years. However, Ashwin chose to channel the remarks constructively, focusing heavily on his physical conditioning over the subsequent four years since he did not consider himself a naturally gifted athlete.
The dynamic changed in 2015 after Manjrekar published a new piece acknowledging Ashwin’s progress and praising his bowling form. Following this, Ashwin obtained Manjrekar’s phone number and sent him a message expressing gratitude, sharing that the initial critique had changed his life by pushing him to learn and improve.
Key Highlights
- Early Critique: Sanjay Manjrekar questioned Ashwin’s fitness and its impact on his bowling and fielding following Ashwin’s first tour of Australia.
- Strained Interaction: Ashwin admitted he was deeply affected by the article and refrained from talking to Manjrekar for several years.
- Turning Point in 2015: After Manjrekar wrote a complimentary article on Ashwin’s bowling, Ashwin reached out via text to thank him for the original critique.
- Career Numbers: Ashwin concluded his international career with 765 total wickets across formats (537 in Tests, 156 in ODIs, and 72 in T20 Internationals), making him the second-highest wicket-taker in Indian international cricket history.
- Post-International Activity: Following his international retirement, Ashwin appeared in Major League Cricket. He was also signed for the previous Big Bash League season but missed out due to an injury.
Why This Matters
Ashwin’s reflections highlight the influence of media critique on professional athletes and demonstrate how the veteran spinner adopted an approach of extracting constructive value from public criticism to extend and elevate his international career.
What to Watch Next
Following his international retirement and participation in franchise competitions such as Major League Cricket, further updates regarding Ashwin’s participation in franchise cricket leagues and other post-international playing opportunities remain areas of interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Ravichandran Ashwin stop talking to Sanjay Manjrekar?
Ashwin stopped speaking to Manjrekar after reading an article by the commentator following his first Australia tour that questioned his fitness, bowling, and fielding.
When did the relationship between Ashwin and Manjrekar improve?
The relationship improved in 2015 when Manjrekar wrote an article praising Ashwin’s bowling. Ashwin then reached out to Manjrekar to thank him for the earlier criticism that had driven his fitness improvements.
What is Ravichandran Ashwin’s international cricket record?
Ashwin finished his international career with 765 international wickets—consisting of 537 in Tests, 156 in ODIs, and 72 in T20Is—placing him second on India’s all-time international wicket-takers list.
Source: Crictracker