Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin may have stepped away from international cricket, but he continues to stay active on the field. Whether it’s playing for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL or representing Tamil Nadu in the TNPL, Ashwin remains a sharp presence in domestic and franchise leagues.
Even after years of facing some of the biggest names in cricket, Ashwin recently opened up about who he thinks is the toughest batter to bowl to in T20s — and his answer has won fans’ hearts. During an Instagram Live session, the off-spinner didn’t hesitate before naming MS Dhoni as the most challenging T20 batter he’s bowled to.
“Toughest batsman to bowl to in T20, I always rate MS Dhoni to be one of the greatest T20 batsmen, especially towards the end,” Ashwin said.
“MSD is one of the greatest captains India has ever seen, and also one of the greatest captains the IPL has ever seen.”
The Finisher Who Could Change a Game in Just a Few Balls
It’s no surprise that Ashwin picked Dhoni. After all, Dhoni has made a career out of pulling off the impossible in tight games. In 278 IPL matches, the Chennai Super Kings skipper has racked up 5439 runs at an average of 38.3 and a strike rate of 137.4 — outstanding numbers for a middle-order batter who rarely gets the luxury of time.
But more than the numbers, it’s Dhoni’s calmness under pressure and his match awareness that make him special. He’s the kind of player who always seems to know what’s coming. Whether it’s calculating how many runs to leave for the final over or picking the right bowler to target, Dhoni’s brain works like a calculator, cold, precise, and effective.
Even in T20 internationals, where he played 98 matches, Dhoni averaged 37.6 with a strike rate of 126.13. Though he only managed two fifties in the format, his impact was always beyond just stats. He finished countless games and anchored India in difficult moments — something not many could do with such consistency.
Ashwin Knows the Challenge First-Hand
Ashwin himself is no stranger to T20 success. In the IPL, he has picked up 187 wickets from 221 matches with a superb economy rate of 6.79 — something that’s become increasingly rare in the high-scoring modern game. For India in T20Is, Ashwin claimed 72 wickets in 65 matches at an average of 23.2.
So when a bowler of Ashwin’s class names Dhoni as the toughest batter to face, you know it comes from experience from countless nets, IPL battles, and match situations where MSD’s finishing touches changed the outcome.