Ravichandran Ashwin is widely regarded as one of the best off-spinners in the modern era and his record in all forms of cricket speak volumes of his capabilities. So far, the veteran bowler has scalped 567 wickets in international cricket and is still going strong. However, the talismanic cricketer started his career as an opening batsman who can bowl a bit. Despite that, his college coach spotted the youngster's talent with the ball and predicted that Ashwin will represent India as an off-spinner. R Ashwin Reveals How MS Dhoni Boosted His Confidence During 2013 Champions Trophy.

Recalling his early days during a live chat with Delhi Capitals’ official Instagram handle, Ashwin said: "I played as an opening batsman at the under-17 level and used to bowl a bit of off-spin. When I was about to join college my coach told me that you will go on to play for India as an off-spinner,” the 33-year old added. The offie further said that his transition from batsman to a bowler has been brilliant. Interestingly, the story is exactly the opposite in the case of Rohit Sharma. The dasher started as an off-spinner but went on to become one of the greatest openers in white-ball cricket.

Talking about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, Ashwin said that cricketers have to learn from the old matches where players just used to clap from their respective places after a fall of wicket. "If you go back in time and watch the classics you will see people used to celebrate wickets by clapping away from each other," Ashwin further said.

Meanwhile, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to resume the training sessions of Indian Cricket Team at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. However, the likes of Indian skipper Virat Kohli and his deputies Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane are like to remain stranded in Mumbai as their city is the most affected region of India from the deadly disease.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 20, 2020 09:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).