"Priceless to have a cricketer like Ashwin in your team" - When Virat Kohli effused heavy praise on ace off-spinner during IND vs NZ 2016 Tests

Former Indian captain Virat Kohli benefited massively from off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's all-round contributions during his captaincy tenure in Tests. Kohli's India dominated the ICC rankings and was ranked the No.1 side for most of his captaincy stint.

Kohli often praised Ashwin for his inimitable impact on the Test side, and one such occasion was during the home series against New Zealand in 2016. India had just won the opening Test of the three-match series in Kanpur by 197 runs.

Ashwin showcased his all-around skills in the contest, scoring a crucial 40 in the first innings, followed by 10 wickets across the two innings.

Talking to the media after the game, Kohli said about Ashwin (via ESPN Cricinfo):

"Ashwin has been outstanding for the Indian team. If you see all the impact players in the world, he comes in the top three-four easily. Bowlers are the ones I feel that win you Test matches, and Ashwin is one of them. The rankings - I'm not a big fan of them - suggest that Ashwin is the best at the moment. So it's priceless to have a cricketer like Ashwin in your Test team."

He added:

"There's no doubt that he's been bowling wonderfully well for the last couple of years. He works very hard on his game. He's a very keen thinker of the game. He likes to talk cricket. He understands the game very well, [he's a] very smart cricketer, very intelligent. That shows in his batting as well. He understands the situation and plays accordingly. He knows when to get runs and when to play the situation out."

Ashwin tormented New Zealand in the rest of the series, finishing with an incredible 27 wickets at an average of 17.77 as India whitewashed the Black Caps 3-0.

Ravichandran Ashwin retired from international cricket during BGT 2024-25

Ravichandran Ashwin called it quits from international cricket during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). He is the eighth leading wicket-taker in Tests with 537 scalps in 106 matches.

Ashwin is also second behind only Anil Kumble in overall international wickets by an Indian bowler, with 765 scalps. His 37 five-wicket hauls in Tests are joint-second all-time and the most by an Indian cricketer.

The champion all-rounder played a massive role in helping India triumph in the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. Ashwin continues to play in the IPL and is part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the ongoing 2025 season.