CHENNAI: As Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement, it brought the curtain down on the career of one of the sport's greats. He boasts a strategic mind - a quality that even chess legend Viswanathan Anand couldn't help but admire .
Ashwin's approach to spin bowling was often like poring over the board in a chess game. A keen chess player himself and fan of Magnus Carlsen, Ashwin follows the Indian contingent with a lot of interest and even co-owns a franchise - American Gambits - in the Global Chess League. Anand has met Ashwin a few times and during a chat with TOI, facilitated by the WestBridge Anand Chess Academy, the legend drew a fascinating parallel between cricket and the game of kings.
