India-England Test series turned out to be a milestone event for Ravichandran Ashwin, however, it was also loaded with an emotional rollercoaster as his mother met with an illness just after he claimed his 500th Test wicket during the third Test in Rajkot.
Talking about it on his YouTube channel, the off-spinner mentioned how skipper Rohit Sharma showed immense support and arranged a charter for him to leave for Chennai from Rajkot.
Ravichandran Ashwin sharing a touching story about Rohit helping him to get back to Chennai to see his family during tough situation.
- Rohit, an unbelievable human being 🫡pic.twitter.com/ziYsuQU4DX— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 12, 2024
“I asked how she was and if she was conscious. The doctor told me that she was not in a position to be seen. I started tearing up. I was searching for a flight but I couldn’t get one. The Rajkot airport closes down at 6 as there are no flights from there after 6. I didn’t know what to do. Rohit (Sharma) and Rahul (Dravid) Bhai came to my room and Rohit asked me to stop thinking and leave to be there with my family. And he was trying to arrange a charter flight for me,” Ashwin shared.
Rohit also asked team physio Kamlesh to accompany Ashwin during his trip to provide emotional support.
“Kamlesh, the team physio, is a very good friend of mine. Rohit told him to fly with me to Chennai and be with me but I convinced him to stay back. When I went down, the security and Kamlesh were already there, waiting. Kamlesh got a call from Rohit on our ride towards the airport, checking up on me and literally asking him to be with me during this tough time," Ashwin said.
"It was 9:30 at night. I was just gobsmacked. I cannot even think about it. The two people there are the only ones that I could talk. What if nobody was there? I just thought, even if I were a captain, I’d tell my players to go back home. No second thoughts about it. But will I be calling people to check up on him? I don’t know. Unbelievable. I saw an outstanding leader in Rohit Sharma that day," he added.
Ashwin couldn't stop gushing about Rohit's good heart and his kind gesture that he showed to him and the kind of great leader he has been althrough these years.
"I’ve played under several captains and leaders, but it is his (Rohit’s) good heart that has made him what he is today – someone with five IPL titles as equal to Dhoni. God doesn’t give it easy. He should get something bigger than all that, which god will give him," Ashwin said.
"In such a selfish society, a man who thinks about someone else’s well being is a rarity. My respect for him grew tremendously after that. I already had respect for him as a leader, he backs a player without question until the last moment. It’s not an easy thing. Even Dhoni does that. But he takes 10 steps more," he added.
Ashwin and Rohit share a long bond together. They have been playing together since age-group cricket, representing India together since then. Rohit recently recalled that both these players had their roles reversed back in those times. Ashwin used to be a top-order batter who bowled a bit, whereas Rohit used to be a specialist off-spinner! Times change, and how!
First Published: Mar 13, 2024 12:46 AM IST
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