3 times Ravichandran Ashwin has achieved the No. 1 ranking in Test cricket

Ravichandran Ashwin has been an asset for India ever since making his debut in 2011 against West Indies. He immediately made an impact, taking 22 wickets in three matches and winning the Player of the Series award.

Overall, wily off-spinner Ashwin has represented India in 90 Tests, picking up 463 wickets at a stunning average of 23.98. While he has simply been sensational at home, he has improved his record in foreign conditions over the last few years.

The 36-year-old's performances have helped him top the ICC's rankings on more occasions than one. Here, we look at three occasions when the Tamil Nadu-based spinner was ranked as the numero uno bowler in the world.

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#1 March 2023

This is the latest occasion on which Ravichandran Ashwin has achieved the feat.

Ashwin's performances in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Series have propelled him to the top in the latest ICC Rankings. He has jumped above England's legendary Jimmy Anderson to become the top-ranked bowler in the world.

In the first two tests in Nagpur and Delhi, he picked up 14 wickets, with only Ravindra Jadeja taking more wickets than him. As they always do in Indian conditions, the duo tormented Australia in the two Tests to help India take an unassailable lead in the four-match series and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

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#2 February-March 2017

During the home Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in 2017, Ravichandran Ashwin once again reached the number one ranking, courtesy of some phenomenal bowling.

Later, Ravindra Jadeja joined Ashwin at the top, as the two superstars became the first pair of spinners to be jointly ranked as the number one bowlers. After a while, however, Ashwin slipped in the rankings while Jadeja stayed on top.

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#3 December 2015

Ravichandran Ashwin reached the number one ranking for the first time in his career in December 2015, when he replaced South Africa's Dale Steyn at the top.

It was a reward for Ashwin's consistent performances, with the spinner picking up 62 wickets in nine Tests during the year. He also ended 2015 as the number one ranked all-rounder, thanks to his handy contributions with the bat.

At the time, Ashwin was only the second Indian to be ranked as the number one bowler after the legendary Bishen Singh Bedi.

“Replicating what Mr Bedi did is something I am very proud of. The former India captain was a master at his craft and I am very humbled to follow in his footsteps. I would like to thank my Test captain Virat Kohli, who has been a big influence, and, of course, the team management, my team-mates and the BCCI for their continued support,” Ravichandran Ashwin had said about becoming the top ranked bowler.