IPL: Players who have batted at surprising batting positions

Ravichandran Ashwin - Opener

Ravichandran Ashwin started his career as a batsman

The 26th match of IPL 2013 saw two-time champions Chennai face off against defending champions, Kolkata. Excellent bowling by the spinning duo of Ashwin and Jadeja saw the Knight Riders put up a measly target of 120 on the board for the Super Kings to chase.

However, the Knight Riders had lethal spinners of their own in their squad - Sunil Narine and Sachithra Senanayake. The heavily spinning track at the Eden gardens could assist these quality spinners immensely and make a modest target of 120 look daunting.

MS Dhoni had an interesting trick up his sleeve to counteract the spin issue. Unbelievably, it was Ravichandran Ashwin who strode out to the middle to open the innings with Michael Hussey. Ashwin did start his career with the bat and had opened for Tamil Nadu in the domestic circuit before. However, that was well in the past and Ashwin normally came down the order for the Super Kings.

The trick didn't particularly work thought as Ashwin was dismissed for 11 by the in-form Sunil Narine.