Who is Adithya Ashok? Indian-origin spinner who went on to represent New Zealand

New Zealand leg-spinner Adithya Ashok is one youngster to watch out for as the Indian-origin cricketer is set to play the first ODI against India on Sunday, January 11, in Vadodara. New Zealand skipper Michael Bracewell confirmed at the toss that Ashok has been included in the playing XI as the frontline spinner.

The 23-year-old has already represented the Black Caps in two ODIs and one T20I, picking up two wickets across the two formats. He is known for his ability to generate sharp turns and extract spin from the surface. Born in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, Ashok moved to New Zealand with his family at the age of four. He shared his memories of being back in India and recalled his family’s journey during their move to New Zealand.

“Memories are just of the house. Being in that house and playing in the streets and things like that when I was quite young. When I was 4 years old, my mom and dad got opportunities in Auckland. Mum at Auckland City Hospital and Dad at Starship Radiology Children’s Hospital. So, from then I’ve called Auckland home and New Zealand home. So that’s pretty much what I remember from Vellore from when I was young,” said Ashok in a video released by Chennai Super Kings.

He progressed through Auckland’s Under-17 and Under-19 teams, which paved the way for his selection to the New Zealand setup. Ashok went on to represent New Zealand at the 2020 ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa and made his senior debut for the Black Caps three years later.

In 2023, Ashok produced a standout performance in a four-day Plunket Shield match for Auckland against Northern Districts at Eden Park, returning impressive figures of 7/110. His consistent performances earned him the Young Cricketer of the Year award for the 2022-23 domestic season.

This marks Ashok’s first tour of India as an international cricketer. However, he had previously visited the country as part of a group that trained at the CSK Academy in Chennai.