“When Ashwin got the ball in his hand, Gayle's legs started shaking” - Former India opener’s massive claim on West Indies legend

Former India opener Kris Srikkanth has made a massive claim involving Ravichandran Ashwin and former West Indies batter Chris Gayle. He made the claim while speaking during a book launch event in Chennai.

Srikkanth said that Gayle could smash any bowler for sixes and boundaries but feared when Ashwin would come on to bowl. Gayle has taken the best of the bowlers to the cleaners several times but it has not been the case against the former Indian all-rounder when it comes to the IPL.

"Chris Gayle could hit anyone for sixes and fours but all it took for Ashwin to dismiss him was four balls. When Ashwin got the ball in his hand, Gayle's legs started shaking," Srikkanth was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.

Looking at the record when the two faced off in the IPL, Ashwin has clearly managed to keep the big West Indian quiet. Gayle has scored only 53 runs in 64 balls against the off-spinner at a strike-rate of just 82.8. Moreover, he has managed to hit him for just three sixes.

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Srikkanth lauds MS Dhoni for identifying Ashwin

During the same event, Srikkanth also lauded former India and CSK captain MS Dhoni for identifying Ashwin. He credited Dhoni for developing the off-spinner into a bowler who could perform well across formats.

"The man who identified him as a great T20 bowler was Dhoni. Ashwin has evolved from T20 to ODIs to Test in an amazing manner. He is not only a good bowler, but also a great batter," he said.

The 38-year-old had announced his retirement from international cricket during the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy. He ended with 537 wickets from 106 Tests, 156 wickets from 116 ODIs, and 72 wickets from 65 T20Is.

Interestingly, Ashwin has reunited with Dhoni in the IPL after CSK picked him for ₹9.75 crore during the mega auction ahead of the 2025 season. The duo last played together in the cash-rich league during the 2015 season, meaning they have reunited after a long gap of 10 years.

CSK will begin their IPL 2025 campaign against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians on March 23 at the Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.