Meet BTech engineer who almost did MBA but is now World Cup winner with Team India

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This top cricketer was almost lost to the world of MBA and marketing but is now one of the highest wicket-taking bowlers in international cricket.

India’s R Ashwin was part of 2011 ODI World Cup winning squad. (Source: X)

The world of cricket almost lost this top player to MBA and marketing had it not been for a quirk of fate. This Indian cricketer is celebrating his 38th birthday on Tuesday (September 17) and is one of the top spinners in the world currently.

We are talking about Team India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who is the fastest Indian bowler to take 50, 100, 250, 300, 400 and 500 Test wickets. However, the cricketing world almost lost this talent to the marketing profession.

There was a time when Ashwin had almost given up on his cricketing career and wanted to pursue an MBA degree and get into marketing. He decided against it after seeking ‘outside help’ which turned his life around.

“I decided to quit cricket. I was asking myself what would I do? And I said whatever I do in life, I would try to achieve excellence and be as good as I can be in that profession. I would probably try to do an MBA and probably be in marketing. I gave myself so many options and then thought before I make any decision, I must get crystal-clear clarity. Probably get an outsider’s view into my life. And see who I am, where I am. That’s when I sought some external help and it changed my life for the better,” Ashwin had said in an interview.

Royal of Rajasthan. Vaathi of Chennai. Legend of India

Happy birthday, ouRR Ashwin pic.twitter.com/gbxDbdWree

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) September 17, 2024

Ashwin holds a B.Tech degree in Information Technology from SSN College of Engineering in Chennai. He worked briefly as a software engineer in a company before switching his allegiance to cricket.

The Tamil Nadu off-spinner now has 516 wickets from 100 Tests and he gets ready to return to his home ground in Chepauk or M. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai for the first Test against Bangladesh which begins on Thursday (September 19).

In ODIs, Ashwin has picked up 156 wickets in 116 games while in T20 matches he has 72 scalps in 65 games. Ashwin was part of India’s 2011 50-over World Cup title win at home and then the 2013 Champions Trophy, but it was three years later that he matured as a top-level bowler.

He took 48 wickets in eight Tests and had 27 victims in 19 Twenty20 matches in the 2015-16 season to be named the ICC cricketer of the year.

In IPL, Ashwin is currently turning out for the Rajasthan Royals. He has already picked up 180 wickets in 212 wickets while playing for 5 teams in the T20 league.

He will now be eyeing a rich wicket haul in India’s home Test season against Bangladesh and New Zealand so that he can stake a claim for a position in the side for the ‘Border Gavaskar Trophy’ against Australia down under later this year.

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