IPL 2020: 3 reasons why Ravichandran Ashwin can be a game-changer for the Delhi Capitals 

When it comes to spin bowling in the subcontinent, especially in the longest format, there are very few bowlers who can match the record of Ravichandran Ashwin. His Test record in the subcontinent is simply phenomenal, which makes him a first choice spinner in home conditions.

However, his lack of wicket-taking skills outside the subcontinent has come under the scrutiny. Ever since the emergence of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal in the limited-overs format, Ashwin has been warming the benches in both ODIs and T20Is.

While Ravindra Jadeja has made a return to the ODI fold due to his all-round abilities, Ashwin finds himself in a precarious situation about his probable return to the limited-overs fold. He has been out of favour ever since the 2017 Champions Trophy final, and the chances of Ashwin making a possible return to the Indian limited-overs fold seems bleak.

Also see – World Test Championship points table

Yet, Ashwin has been working on his variations for a long time now, and the upcoming IPL will surely be a platform to showcase his skills in the white-ball format.

The experienced offie's trade to the Delhi Capitals from the Kings XI Punjab was talked about quite a lot, and for no small reason. Ashwin displayed some admirable leadership qualities for Punjab in the last two seasons, and with quite a few Indian national team players at the Capitals, it will be interesting to see how he fits into the team structure.

With Ashwin set to represent the Delhi Capitals for IPL 2020, here are three reasons why he could be the game-changer for his side.

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#1 Bowling Variations

Having lost out on a spot from the national team in the limited-overs format, Ashwin has been working hard on fine-tuning his variations. It was not too long ago that Ashwin developed the leg break and was seen bowling them quite often in the previous edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League, while also trying it out a few times in the last edition of the IPL.

Ashwin has also developed some unique deliveries with unusual actions. Ashwin is certainly a thinking cricketer, and given his skill sets and tendency to work a lot more on his variations, he might try out some of his new deliveries in the upcoming IPL.

The 33-year old has quite a few variations up his sleeve, including the slider and the carrom ball, apart from which he can also bowl the conventional leg break and trouble the best of batsmen with his stock ball as well.

With the T20 format demanding a lot more than just the standard delivery, R Ashwin's mastery over a wide array of variations could be an 'X-factor' for the Capitals in the powerplay overs and middle overs.

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#2 Leadership Qualities

In all likelihood, Shreyas Iyer will be leading Delhi Capitals in IPL 2020. Iyer led the side to a playoffs berth last year and will look to go a couple of steps further in the upcoming season. Iyer himself is a young man and was handed over the captaincy in 2018 after Gautam Gambhir stepped down midway through the tournament.

For IPL 2020, the inclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin to the Capitals will surely help Iyer a lot more, with the off-spinner certain to bring all his experience to the fore.

While one might argue that the Kings XI Punjab failed to grab the last four spots in the last two years, Ashwin did a good job of leading a relatively young side, similar to what MS Dhoni has done in his career. Given that Ashwin has played under Dhoni for quite some time, the former will certainly have a lot to contribute on the field with his understanding of the game and situations.

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#3 Favourable Kotla Wicket

The surface at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, formerly known as the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi has predominantly been on the slower side and is known to assist the spinners. Over the years, spinners have enjoyed success in this stadium and the inclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin will surely work wonders for DC.

Head coach Ricky Ponting is hopeful of the fact that the inclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin in the squad will make a big impact on the side's fortunes “Ashwin adds a lot of value to any team that he’s a part of, and I’m sure it’s going to be no different when he joins Delhi Capitals,” said Ponting.

“It is no secret that the pitch on our home ground is on the slower side, and is known to assist spinners. I believe, Ashwin, with his clever bowling, will have a tremendous impact when he bowls on it,” he had added.

Over the years, the veteran spinner has been a top-notch performer in the IPL. He has bagged 125 wickets in 139 IPL games at an exceptional economy rate of 6.79 RPO and given his hunger to improve with every passing day, Ashwin's ability to pick up crucial wickets will certainly benefit the Capitals.