Ravichandran Ashwin’s stellar performance at Chepauk, where he claimed 105 wickets in a single match, was met with mixed emotions from his wife, Prithi. While she was overjoyed with his achievements, she couldn’t help but express her disappointment over the lack of attention she received on the first day of the match.
In a heartwarming conversation shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Prithi confronted Ashwin about his absence on the opening day. “Kids want to know what would you give them on Daughter’s day?” she asked. Ashwin responded with a playful suggestion of giving them the ball he used to pick up a fifer. However, his daughter quickly dismissed the idea.
Prithi then asked Ashwin how it felt to perform so well in front of his home crowd. “I don’t know how to react because the first day was something that happened really quickly,” Ashwin said. “I didn’t expect to walk in to bat here and get a hundred. I hadn’t batted in a while. It feels great. Every time I come here it feels special. I don’t know there is some energy in his ground that keeps me going.”
Prithi couldn’t resist a cheeky question, wondering if Ashwin’s performance had refueled his energy levels, as he had neglected her on the first day. Ashwin, however, managed to justify his actions. “Do you think this energy added anything to your energy?” Prithi asked. “She kept complaining that I didn’t see her on the first day. I didn’t. For me, it’s very difficult for me to look out for the family when I am playing. In the middle of the game, but I do make a conscious effort because the children are always asking me, ‘Why didn’t you say hi’?” Ashwin said jokily.
Prithi defended herself, saying that she didn’t always expect Ashwin to greet her, but she felt neglected when he didn’t acknowledge her presence at all. “I would like to defend myself here. I don’t always say hi. When you sit in the seat for 9 to 5 and all I see is Raj waving back at me like I have made up the two days.”
Despite the playful banter, Prithi expressed her pride in Ashwin’s achievements. “But congratulations. A second hundred and a fifer at Chennai. The kids are here they really had a good time. A perfect Sunday morning, it has been a decent weather,” she said.
Ashwin concluded the conversation by thanking Prithi for her support and bringing him good luck.
