R Ashwin joins Yorkshire for 2020 County Championship season

India’s premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will represent Yorkshire in the 2020 County Championship season. The English club made the announcement on Thursday (January 16). The 33-year-old bowler is expected to be available for eight county matches after playing in the IPL and the BCCI-mandated resting period.

Speaking on the development, Ashwin told the club website, “I’m thrilled to be joining Yorkshire, a club with a wonderful history and a fantastic fan base. I know a lot about Yorkshire and to follow in the footsteps of Sachin (Tendulkar), who played for the county many years ago is a wonderful feeling for me.” Yorkshire is the most successful team in English cricket history. They have won 33 County Championship titles including one shared.

Currently headed by Joe Root, Yorkshire includes players like Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Keshav Maharaj and others. “I think our team looks extremely talented with some superb pace bowlers and exciting batsmen. Hopefully my role as the spinner will be a key feature in helping the team achieve success,” Ashwin added.

“Headingley has always been a fantastic venue to play at. People speak about the overhead conditions playing a big part so let’s hope for plenty of sun. I love playing First-Class cricket and have enjoyed my two previous spells with Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire. My role will be to score runs and take wickets but it will be a collective effort if we are to win the title,” Tamil Nadu spinner added.

Ashwin will take place of Yorkshire’s first-choice spinner Keshav Maharaj, who will only be available for the first two games of the season. Previously, the Indian spinner has featured in nine Championship matches across two County stints – with Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire in 2017 and 2019 respectively – and has taken 54 wickets with four five-wicket hauls.