Ravichandran Ashwin finished the Test series against England with 26 wickets in five Test matches. He broke several records in the process. He surpassed 100 Test wickets against England and 500 Test wickets overall.
Ravichandran Ashwin played all the Test matches. However, during the Rajkot Test match, his mother fell seriously ill and had to return to Chennai in an emergency.
Ravichandran Ashwin decided not to participate in the Rajkot Test and return to Chennai to see his ailing mother. However, he was having trouble getting a connecting flight from Rajkot to Chennai.
After the Test series was over, Ashwin spoke about how Indian captain Rohit Sharma helped him return to Chennai so he could meet his mother. In the video, she spoke more about Rohit’s legacy as a captain and the big heart he has.
Watch – Ravichandran Ashwin on the man with a big heart Rohit Sharma
Ravichandran Ashwin shares a heartwarming story about how Rohit helped him return to Chennai to see his family during a difficult situation.
– Rohit, an incredible human being 🫡pic.twitter.com/ziYsuQU4DX
—Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 12, 2024
“I asked him how he was and if he was conscious. Apparently the doctor told me that she was not fit to be treated. I started to cry. I was looking for a flight but couldn’t get it. Rajkot airport closes at 6 because 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 literally asked me to stop thinking and leave to be there with my family. And he was trying to get me a charter flight,” Ashwin shared on his YouTube channel.
He went on to say how Rohit asked the team’s physio Kamlesh to travel with the player to Chennai.
“Kamlesh, the team physiotherapist, 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 came down, the security and Kamlesh were already there, waiting. Kamlesh received a call from Rohit on our journey to the airport, checking on me and literally asking him to be with me during this difficult time. It was 9:30 at night. I was stunned.
“I can’t even think about it. The two people there are the only ones I can talk to. What would happen if there was no one there? I just thought that even if I were captain, I would tell my players to go home. There is no doubt about it. But will I call people to check on him? I don’t know. Incredible. That day I saw an outstanding leader in Rohit Sharma.”
Ashwin concluded that Rohit Sharma’s empathy as a captain for his players made him stand out and is something that has contributed immensely to his success as a captain. Rohit’s Test series win as captain against England in the absence of Virat Kohli in the side is a testimony to the same.
“I have played with 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 equaling Dhoni. God doesn’t make it easy. He should get something greater than all that, which God will give him. In such a selfish society, a man who thinks about the well-being of another person is a rarity. My respect for him grew enormously after that. He already had respect for him as a leader, he supports a player without questioning him until the last moment. It’s not something easy. Even Dhoni does that. But he takes 10 more steps,” Ashwin concluded by saying.
With the Test series over, Ashwin will join the Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2024. He will join the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Sanju Samson as the trio look to win the Royals their second IPL title.
Also Read: Will Virat Kohli miss IPL 2024 matches? Big update on RCB batsman’s return