CSK contract in IPL my biggest aim: Indian-origin NZ U-19 star Adhitya Ashok

New Zealand has a sizeable population of Indian-origin people and therefore, it doesn't come as a surprise that some current and former Kiwi players are progenies of the Asian nation. Besides the players who have played international cricket, there are also quite a few young cricketers who are of Indian descent.

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One such young cricketer who is rising through the ranks in the ongoing ICC U-19 World Cup 2020 is New Zealand Under-19s cricketer 17-year-old Adhitya Ashok. He was born to a nurse and a cricketer-turned-radiographer. Ashok came to New Zealand when he was four years old and the love for the game was instilled by his father, who made a cricket pitch for him in their backyard. He turned into a leg-spinner and went on to captain the New Zealand U-13s team in the Indoor Cricket World Cup in Australia in 2015. Tarun Nethula, the former Kiwi leggie who played five one-day games in 2012, played a massive role in helping Ashok develop wrist spin skills.

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New Zealand Under-19 spin sensation Adhitya Ashok speaks about his CSK dream

While talking to a leading Indian media portal, Adhitya Ashok said that his bowling style and his mentality was all about being consistent and disciplined. He added that he was trying to be the kind of bowler who does not leaks runs. He went on say that it was a cliché associated with leg-spinners to be wicket-takers, but he’d rather stay tight.

The leggie said he only has two goals. Firstly, he wishes to play Test cricket for the New Zealand team and become a successful cricketer. That could get him a chance to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) given that Ashok hails from Tamil Nadu itself.

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Adhitya Ashok picked up back-to-back three-wicket hauls in the warm-up games of the ICC U-19 World Cup 2020, with one of those coming against the Indian team. In the first match of the tournament, he picked up 3/38 against Sri Lanka, a match NZ U-19s won in the last over.

Speaking about Kane Williamson, Adhitya Ashok said that he admired the Kiwi captain but his role model was Roger Federer. He added that Federer's longevity and success were amazing but the best thing was just how humble and down-to-earth he was. He went on to say that Federer was a complete gentleman who went about his job without a fuss.

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IMAGE COURTESY: BLACKCAPS TWITTER