New Zealand were put into bat in the first match of the One Day Series between India and New Zealand. During the toss, New Zealand captain Bracewell mentioned that Aditya Ashok is their main spinner in the side for this game. So who is Aditya Ashok and what connection does he have in this game. In this article we look at the Chennai born player who is representing New Zealand.
Ahead of the series Adi Ashok on interview said that he cannot wait for the excitement of cricket in India, the country of his birth. Ashok has played two ODIs and a T20 for New Zealand in 2023 and is in the squad which has the first of three ODI matches against India.
Aditya Ashok was just 4 years old when he left India when his parents decided to move to Singapore and then Auckland for jobs in the medical field. In New Zealand, Ashok decided to pursue his passion which was cricket. Ashok has since then been back to India since but has not been to play any big cricket match there and has been taking in what more seasoned team mates have told him about their experiences.
While rowing up in Auckland, he fell in love with cricket and his skills in school and local matches were excellent and he quickly was marked out as a talented leg spinner. He represented New Zealand in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa, Adithya impressed with his ability and challenged batters. Those performances earned him recognition as a future Black Cap, putting him firmly on New Zealand’s cricketing scene.
After his U19 cricket success, Adithya Ashok did well for Auckland in domestic cricket and went on to make his debut for the Black Caps in both ODI and T20I cricket. However, major back surgery later that year kept him sidelined for almost a year, challenging his resilience but strengthening his determination to return stronger.
Adi Ashok in early 2025 also trained at the CSK Academy, refining his variations across different surfaces which are not easy to get in New Zealand. The experience helped him adapt his bowling for international conditions. He has some family roots back in Vadodara and they will be chuffed to watch him play the first ODI against New Zealand.
