R. Ashwin
The Chennai off-spinner who took 537 wickets in 106 Tests, India's second-highest wicket-taker, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
Ravichandran Ashwin turned off-spin into a thinking person’s weapon. In 2025 he was named for the Padma Shri in the field of sports, from Tamil Nadu [1].
From West Mambalam
Ashwin was born on 17 September 1986 in Chennai [2]. He started out bowling off-spin with a tennis ball in West Mambalam, and trained as an engineer before cricket took over [2].
A match-winner
He made his debut for India in 2010 [2]. In an era when finger-spinners were expected to keep runs down, he attacked, with variations such as the carrom ball [2]. He became one of India’s greatest match-winners at home, taking 537 wickets in 106 Tests, the second-highest tally for India, and scoring six Test centuries [2]. He was part of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning squad [2].
He also explains the game’s finer points to fans on his YouTube channel [2].
He received the Arjuna Award in 2014 and was named ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2016 [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2025: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2025: citation for R. Ashwin — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 12 October 2026.
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