'After reading I got angry' - R Ashwin reveals how Manjrekar's criticism changed his life as cricketer

Legendary off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has opened up about how a critical article by Sanjay Manjrekar following his maiden tour of Australia in 2011-12 initially angered him but ultimately became a turning point in his career. The off-spinner was deeply hurt by the piece, which led to a four-year period during which the two did not communicate. Rather than dismiss the criticism, Ashwin channelled his emotions into self-improvement over the subsequent years.

Ashwin discussed the incident during an appearance on JioHotstar's Cheeky Singles episode. In 2012, Manjrekar had written an article criticising Ashwin's physical fitness, noting concerns about how it affected his fielding and bowling. The young cricketer read the piece while returning from the tour and felt genuinely upset by the assessment.

"I had messaged Sanjay Manjrekar once. After my first Australia tour, he had written a long article, and I read it completely while returning. After reading I got angry, getting angry is one thing, but I felt very bad. I let it go. I used to not talk a lot to him either." Ashwin said.

"The next four years, I worked a lot, as I was not a gifted athlete. Then in 2015, he wrote another article saying he was bowling very well. Then I asked for his number and messaged him that your article back then changed my life. I always look at whether there is something to learn from criticism," he added.

How Manjrekar's article affected Ashwin

Over the four years following the initial criticism, Ashwin committed himself to improving his fitness levels. He recognised that he was not naturally gifted as an athlete and therefore needed to work harder than others to bridge that gap. This period of dedicated effort on his physical conditioning became instrumental in shaping his career trajectory.

Ashwin's message to Manjrekar in 2015

In 2015, Manjrekar wrote another article, this time praising Ashwin's bowling performance. This positive assessment prompted Ashwin to reach out to Manjrekar and share how the earlier critical piece had motivated him. The message marked the end of their silence and represented a moment of reconciliation between the two.

Ashwin went on to become one of India's greatest Test cricketers. He retired from international cricket in 2024 with immediate effect during the Test series against Australia. At the time of his retirement, Ashwin held the position of India's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests, having claimed 537 wickets across 106 matches. He picked up one wicket in his final match, the second Test in Adelaide, bringing his career to a close.