'MS Dhoni got annoyed when I celebrated his wicket excessively': Ashwin recalls early playing days

The off-spinner, with over 500 Test wickets, revealed that he though that him removing Dhoni would give him a chance to play for CSK in the IPL.

Indian legend Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday recalled that World Cup winning captain MS Dhoni had been annoyed at the spinner for celebrating the wicketkeeper-batter's wicket excessively in Challenger Trophy early in his career.

The off-spinner, with over 500 Test wickets, revealed that he though that him removing Dhoni would give him a chance to play for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was speaking on JioStar's 'The Ravichandran Ashwin Experience'.

"Muttiah Muralitharan was in the team, a legend, bowling his full quota, so I wasn’t getting chances (to play for CSK). I didn’t play in 2008, but in 2009, I got my first game in Cape Town, against Mumbai Indians, against Sachin Tendulkar. Between 2009 and 2010, I still didn’t get many opportunities," said Ashwin who retired from all forms of international cricket in December 2024.

"In the Challenger Trophy, I got a chance to bowl to Dhoni. Dhoni got out twice against our team. Once, he hit a shot towards deep cover and I took a diving catch. I celebrated it so much that he actually got annoyed.

"He (Dhoni) was like, 'What's there to celebrate so much?’ I told him, ‘Getting your wicket was my dream. Maybe this will open a door for me in CSK.' The next year, I got my chance."

Further, speaking on the environment in CSK during 2010-2015, when Ashwin was at the core of the franchise's success, he said, "I think Chennai was one of those early teams with not just good batsmen, but many quality bowlers too. Along with that, a few domestic players came through, like me, Murali Vijay, Badrinath, and Shadab Jakati, who many may not know but played a heroic role for CSK, he was the captain of Goa at that time."

"Wriddhiman Saha was also picked and used in the middle order, and he performed. That was the kind of cricketing environment Chennai had. Also, you didn’t have to worry about anything off the field, Ashwin added.

He said that the team took care of family logistics, allowing players to focus on cricket.

"Family logistics, tickets, rooms, travel, everything was taken care of. If my parents wanted to come, it was all arranged. There were buses, cars and everything in place. So instead of worrying about these things under pressure, you could just focus on cricket. These may seem like small things, but they go a long way. You can't buy that goodwill; it has to be built."

Ashwin, who played for the now defunct Rising Pune Super Giants, Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab), Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals after 2026, returned to CSK for the 2025 season and retired where record-breaking career started.

"When I got the chance to play for CSK again, the first thought was that I could finish where I started. My intention was to play for 2-3 years. It didn't happen, that's a different story. I won't go there now. But where it started, it finished there.

"And I had another small dream to finish at Chepauk. I couldn't do that. My last IPL game was in Delhi. But if I had played at Chepauk, it would have been even better. Because my last ODI game was at Chepauk. There are many memories on that ground, it's very close to my heart."

Recalling his final IPL wicket, that of teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ashwin said, "It was a bit tactical. Cricket has changed; these Gen Z players hit spinners off their lengths. So, I planned to bowl slightly fuller with drift, which off-spinners get. If extra cover is back, they think I’ll bowl wide, but I won’t. I’ll go towards the pads with turn. That’s how I got Sanju Samson’s wicket.

"Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is an exceptional talent. The way he was hitting sixes, I tried to beat him in flight. I pulled the length back to tempt him. He was beaten but adjusted mid-swing and played a reverse sweep towards mid-on. I just said, ‘Wow, this is one hell of a player.’ At 14, you expect errors or some hesitation against big bowlers, but that wasn’t there."

Appreciating the 15-year-old prodigy, Ashwin said he already has tactical awareness, skill and power to succeed at the top.

"He’s calculating; he’s reading the game. When someone has skill, power, tactical awareness, and clarity under pressure, that’s a dangerous combination. He has it. Just don’t put too much pressure on him. Let him go through his cricketing journey; he has a lot of skill, I'd want him to try red-ball cricket too."