As my readers go through this column, I am on a flight to Chennai (provided it isn’t cancelled) to help Ravi Ashwin with his mock auction. With Ashwin, things are always interesting. He thinks out of the box and is never averse to taking risks or trying new things. His foray into the digital media space is one such example.
Ashwin is a wonderful speaker and could easily have landed a commentary contract that paid him more than enough. In fact, he can do so at any point in time. However, he has chosen not to. Instead, he is intent on creating his own niche in the digital space and doing innovative things that appeal to him.
For me, that’s what is laudable — the willingness to depart from the conventional and try something new. To experiment. To create interesting content that stands out. And that’s why I am on my way to Chennai to support his effort.
Ashwin and I have always been close friends. Even during my ban, he was supportive, and I have written about his support in the past. After his retirement, we have engaged in several projects, and I recall a call during the Paris Olympics that stood out for me. We were all sitting in the MPC planning the day’s work in Paris when Ashwin called. “I’d be keen on covering Olympic sports with you at some point,” he said. “How do you think I should go about it?”
It was an interesting conversation, and one could clearly see the direction in which he was headed. For almost 30 years, he has played cricket and more cricket. Now that he is retired, he wants to do things he enjoys and explore new opportunities. Today’s mock auction in Chennai is one such venture. And yet, it is not a flippant exercise. He is bringing people from across India to Chennai and is executing it with meticulous care.
Teams are ready, and proper research has gone into the effort. Ashwin himself has interacted with the teams online over the last couple of days, and each team — three people to a table — will be adequately prepared ahead of the event.
What is commendable is the attention to detail. His team has sent out lists of available players, research notes, and has ensured everything is done on time. It will undoubtedly be engaging content, something viewers will enjoy.
Ashwin himself will be the auctioneer, which means he will also bring his usual humour to the recording. In an environment where conventional media jobs are rare, efforts like this are a breath of fresh air. He has now built a team of young people who all have stable jobs to rely on. That’s the important part. By doing things on his own, Ashwin is making a valuable contribution to the ecosystem and creating a real legacy.
I don’t know which team will do well in the auction today. What I do know is that Team Ashwin has already won. I wish him and his team all the very best.
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