Ravichandran Ashwin (IPL/BCCI)
Ravichandran Ashwin has sparked a debate about the impact of modern batsmanship on cricket grounds after stating that the evolution of power-hitting has rendered the size of stadiums increasingly irrelevant.
Explaining his observation, the Rajasthan Royals off-spinner said, “The stadiums built back in the day are not relevant in the modern day. The bats that were used back then were also used for gully cricket. With LED boards of the sponsors being used, the boundary has come in by 10 yards.”
“It is tilting too far on the other side, which will make someone’s misery your great time. Bowlers will need a mental boost,” he said during a promotional event for his IPL team.
However, Ashwin was all praise for the batters and how they have evolved over time.
“If you look at the Industrial rate (average runs conceded by teams in IPL), we have gone for less. We defended 180 in Jaipur in one game which was huge. But you are certainly marvelled at ball-striking. At the end of the day spectators come to watch fours and sixes,” he said.
“The ground in Jaipur, the boundary is huge. When I saw that, Dhruv Jurel said: “Bhaiyya, this is so big”, and I told him “, Dhruv, at least let it be somewhere”. Watching that, I felt at this stage of my career, I would need a bicycle to reach the (Sawai Man Singh) boundary. Then, in the next stadium, I felt I could walk, and the next, I could run, and then in one, I felt if I spit my Chewing gum, it would cross the boundary rope for a six,” he added.