Early Beginnings: Ashwin was born on September 17, 1986, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He displayed an early love for cricket, and like many aspiring cricketers, began his career as a batsman. In his early days, Ashwin played as an opening batsman and medium pacer, a role that’s vastly different from the one we associate with him today. However, a critical piece of advice from his coach, C. K. Vijaya Kumar, would go on to change the course of his career forever. Kumar encouraged Ashwin to focus on off-spin bowling instead of pace. Embracing this advice, Ashwin transformed himself into an off-spinner, eventually becoming one of the finest in world cricket. His first-class debut came with Tamil Nadu, where he started to make his mark in domestic cricket. It didn’t take long for Ashwin’s talent to be noticed, and he soon earned a spot in the Indian national team. This marked the beginning of what would be a stellar international career spanning over a decade. ODI Career: