IPL 2021: Ravichandran Ashwin leaves DC bubble; goes on break from ongoing IPL
Delhi Capitals (DC) premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has announced that he will be going on a break starting Monday (April 26) from the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Ravichandran Ashwin has cited the need to be with his family amid the raging second wave of the coronavirus pandemic as the major reason behind opting for the break.
“I would be taking a break from this years IPL from tomorrow,” tweeted Ashwin on Sunday (April 25) night. “My family and extended family are putting up a fight against #COVID19 and I want to support them during these tough times.”
I would be taking a break from this years IPL from tomorrow. My family and extended family are putting up a fight against #COVID19 and I want to support them during these tough times. I expect to return to play if things go in the right direction. Thank you @DelhiCapitals
— Stay home stay safe! Take your vaccine
(@ashwinravi99) April 25, 2021
And while Ravichandran Ashwin did mention that he “expect to return to play if things go in the right direction”, it’ll depend largely on how early his indefinite break ends.
Ravichandran Ashwin leaves Delhi Capitals (DC) bubble; goes on break from ongoing IPL
If Ravichandran Ashwin is to return to play the IPL 2021 at any stage, he will first have to go through another week of quarantine, as he did before entering DC’s bio-bubble ahead of the competition.
Ashwin’s departure after just five games of DC’s tournament campaign comes as a massive surprise. The 34-year-old played all of the DC’s fixtures so far and while not taking more than 1 wicket, conceded only 7.73 runs per over. Ravichandran Ashwin was expected to form a lethal spin trio with Amit Mishra and Axar Patel through the course of the season.
In the last year’s edition of the IPL, Ashwin was one of DC’s crucial contributors in their surge to the final in Dubai and took 13 wickets while carrying an economy rate of 7.66. One of the greats of IPL cricket, Ashwin has now taken 139 wickets from 159 matches in the league’s history with an economy rate of 6.90.
Renowned for his sharp cricketing brain, Ravichandran Ashwin must’ve thought through the pros and cons of his decision of taking a break from IPL 2021, as he selflessly puts his potential return to India’s T20I side in the World Cup year under jeopardy to prioritise his family’s welfare.