New Delhi: Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Monday was appointed skipper of Kings XI Punjab for the upcoming season of IPL scheduled to start from 7th April. The 31-year-old will lead the 21-man side comprising the likes of veteran Yuvraj Singh, Jamaican explosive batsman Chris Gayle, killer David Miller and left-arm sensation Axar Patel.
“I feel honoured to be trusted with the responsibility of leading such a talented bunch of cricketers. I am confident of bringing out the best out of team mates. This is indeed a proud moment for me,” Ashwin told Kings XI Punjab official website.
The other potential candidate for captaincy was Yuvraj Singh but the 36-year-old missed out on the opportunity due to age factor looming in minds of Punjab think tank. Punjab team management preferred Ashwin as a "long-term" choice. Team mentor Virender Sehwag during a live chat on Facebook hailed the decision made by the management and backed Ashwin to do wonders in the upcoming season.
"The best quality in Ashwin is he is very smart. He understands this T20 format better than anybody else. He used to bowl in Powerplay, he used to bowl in slog [overs], so he knows what to do in T20 format." said Sehwag.
After his 8-year long association with Chennai Super Kings and 2-year stint with Rising Pune Supergiants, Ashwin was bought by the Punjab based franchise for a whopping INR 7.6 crores in the auctions held in January. Looking for their maiden title triumph, the franchise has shown faith in the 31-year-old. Ashwin who has not captained in IPL previously, told the website that captaincy wont effect his game and would rather bring out the best in him.
“There is no additional pressure on me as such. I first led my state side in first class cricket when I was 21. I have done it in the past and I am sure that I will enjoy the challenge,” said the off-spinner spinner.