"Real Hukum" - R Ashwin poses with Sachin Tendulkar during BCCI Naman Awards 2024-25 [In Picture]

Ravichandran Ashwin recently posed with legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar at the Naman Awards ceremony conducted by BCCI on Saturday (February 1). The veteran off-spinner retired from International cricket in December during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.

The BCCI honored Ashwin for his invaluable contributions to the Indian team in international cricket by presenting a special award at the ceremony in Mumbai on Saturday. Tendulkar also received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, while Jasprit Bumrah won the Best Men's Cricketer of the Year award for his phenomenal performances in 2024 across formats.

After the event, Ashwin took to his official Instagram handle and shared a couple of pictures from the award ceremony and expressed his admiration for Sachin Tendulkar with a caption that read:

"The “Real Hukum” 🤩🤩 @sachintendulkar."

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"My dream was to stand next to Sachin Tendulkar and play the game"- R Ashwin

Speaking after receiving the BCCI special award, Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that he dreamt about playing the game together with Sachin Tendulkar, which was fulfilled as the duo also won the 2011 ODI World Cup together.

He said:

“My dream was to stand next to Sachin Tendulkar and play the game. It was gratification and a dream come true for a very normal middle-class guy."

Reflecting on his cricketing journey, R Ashwin continued:

"The entire journey has been a huge high, difficult to put a finger on a single performance. For me, the entire journey of discovery and rediscovery. I have evolved a lot as a cricketer and an individual. Built a lot of great relationship at the back half of my career."

On his life after retiring from international cricket, the Tamil Nadu-born player added:

"Look I've never been home for this stretch together. I have dropped children before, but dropping and picking up them and also being part of their daily routine something I didn't sign up for. But, I must admit I am enjoying quite a bit."

R Ashwin is the second-highest wicket-taker for India across all formats, with 765 wickets. Anil Kumble is at the top with a mammoth tally of 953 wickets across a legendary 18-year international career.