Ever since former Indian skipper MS Dhoni announced retirement from international cricket, tributes and congratulatory messages have been pouring in for him. Joining the bandwagon, Indian off-spinner Ravichandra Ashwin also took to his YouTube page and paid tribute to the legendary wicket-keeper batsman. The veteran bowler recalled the time when Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket in 2014. Ashwin revealed that the former Indian skipper, who’s known for his calm demeanour, failed to hide his emotions and burst into tears in front of Ashwin, Suresh Raina and Ishant Sharma. MS Dhoni to Get Farewell Match? BCCI Willing to Host a Send-Off Game For Retired Indian Cricketer.

“I remember when he retired from Test cricket in 2014, I was batting with him to save the match in Melbourne,” said Ashwin in his YouTube channel “Reminisce with Ash.” “But once we lost, he simply picked up a stump and walked off saying he’s done. It was quite an emotional moment for him. Ishant Sharma, Suresh Raina and I were sitting in his room that evening. He was still wearing his Test match jersey through the entire night and he shed a few tears as well,” he added. MS Dhoni Has Always Been Emotionally Detached from Results, Says VVS Laxman.

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The former CSK bowler also recalled his first meeting with Dhoni in 2008 and mentioned how he noticed the wicket-keeper’s leadership skills with time. “I first met him as a net bowler during an India-West Indies ODI at Chepauk. And then when I joined Chennai Super Kings in 2008, I got to work with him and learn a lot. He had that long hair when I met him earlier but then after spending time with him at CSK I realised what a mature leader he was,” he said.

Ashwin also shared an important advice which Dhoni gave him early on his career. “During the 2010 Champions League, he taught me a very important lesson. I bowled the Super Over against the Victoria Bushrangers [CSK lost the game] and MS came up to me and said, ‘you didn’t bowl your best ball under pressure. You’ve got the carrom ball and you need to use it a lot more,’ recalled the 33-year-old bowler.

Well, it’s quite evident that Dhoni and Ashwin share a great camaraderie. However, they’ll be up against each other in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which is set to get underway on September 19 in UAE.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 19, 2020 05:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).