What’s the story?
Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who came into the limelight courtesy of his time with the Chennai Super Kings believes that the return of the IPL franchise will increase its value like how the 1958 Munich air disaster did for Manchester United. Ashwin, who is currently with the Dindigul Dragons in the second edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League, spoke about the return of CSK.
"I think the two-year hiatus for CSK probably increases its value much like what it did for Manchester United when the air crash happened (in 1958 when eight of their players died). I don't know if it's in the same league but surely people in Chennai and fans across the world are waiting for CSK to return. I hope it turns out to be a good comeback," said Ashwin.
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In case you didn’t know...
While returning from a European Cup match in Yugoslavia, the flight carrying Matt Busby’s Manchester United side along with supporters and journalist crashed at Munich, where it stopped to refuel on 6 February 1958. United lost eight players, including Duncan Edwards and the incident threw the club into the spotlight and although there have been a few blocks on the road since then, that instance that put United on the world map and sent them on their way towards being one of the most supported clubs in the world.
The heart of the matter
After a two year suspension, Chennai Super Kings are back and will take part in the 11th edition of the IPL. Ashwin was one of the initial success stories of the franchise that won two IPL titles and two CLT20 titles. In his 121 games for the side, Ashwin picked up 120 wickets at an economy rate of just 6.66.
What’s next?
The next assignment for Ashwin is the second edition of the TNPL, which begins on July 22. The Indian international will a large chunk of the tournament, due to his involvement in the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which is scheduled to begin on July 26. With India set to play five ODIs and a solitary T20I following that, it remains to be seen if Ashwin does turn out for the Dindigul Dragons in TNPL 2017.
Author’s Take
As one of the original success stories of CSK, it was unsurprising to notice Ashwin’s delight at the return of his hometown side. The Munich air disaster was a lot more high profile and parallels with CSK’s two-year hiatus aren’t fair on either the IPL side or the Premier League side. However, his points about fans eagerly awaiting the side’s return and their stock rising certainly holds true.
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