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Ravichandran Ashwin recently went past the legendary Kapil Dev to become India's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests. Ashwin accomplished the feat in the recently concluded first Test against Sri Lanka in Mohali.
The off-spinner has now revealed that the 1983 World Cup-winning skipper made a sweet gesture to congratulate him on his achievement. Dev did so by sending him a bouquet of flowers and a hand-written note.
Speaking to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the off-spinner said:
"Very sweet of Kapil paaji. He has actually sent a bouquet home. He has also sent a small hand-written note congratulating me for crossing him."
He went on to add that it's because of the trail blazed by players like Kapil Dev and Anil Kumble before him that he has been able to achieve what he has. Ravichandran Ashwin said:
"But you know, sometimes people do forget that people like Kapil Dev, people like Sachin Tendulkar, people like Anil Kumble, people like Harbhajan Singh -- those who have done incredible things in the past are one the reasons why I am sitting here today."
The 35-year-old went on to state:
"We have to be deeply indebted to these people and at the same time we have to be very humble in what we are doing. I am extremely pleased and full of gratitude for all those people before me."
Going past Kapil Dev's Test tally not even a part of my bucket list: Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin said that he never even dreamed of going past Kapil Dev's tally of 434 Test wickets.
"If I call this a dream, I’d be lying I think. For me, getting this number of wickets was never even a part of my bucket list," he said.
He went on to narrate the story of when he and his father cheered Kapil Dev on to go past Richard Hadlee's tally of 431 wickets. That made the former Indian skipper the leading wicket-taker in Tests at the time. Ashwin said:
"I had put up a post on Instagram yesterday. Way back in 1994, I clearly remember I was sitting with my dad. My dad used to have a cane chair where I would sit and watch the game. We were watching and he was so keen."
He added:
"There were neighbours around and the neighbours had gathered to watch the game and I had no idea what they were looking forward to. I then realised that my father was cheering Kapil Dev on to go past Sir Richard Hadlee."
Ashwin concluded:
"I asked him the significance of it and he told me that Kapil Dev would go on to be the world’s highest wicket-taker and I was so chuffed about it. For me at that point of time, an Indian achieving that sort of milestone was incredible."
The off-spinner currently has 436 scalps to his name and is the ninth highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. Ravichandran Ashwin will look to add to that tally when India take on Sri Lanka in the second Test, starting on March 12, in Bengaluru.
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