Former India spin all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin heaped praise on ex-Chennai Super Kings player Sam Billings. While talking about the England wicketkeeper-batter’s lifestyle, Ashwin said that he is extremely wealthy. The former CSK spinner, however, added that Billings stays grounded despite so much of wealth. Billings had a failed Indian Premier League career. He played 30 matches in the tournament, scoring just 503 runs at an average of less than 20 and a strike rate below 130. The England star played for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) from 2016 to 2017, then joined CSK for the next two seasons before playing the 2022 edition for Kolkata Knight Riders.
“Sam Billings is not a normal guy. He owns almost half of Kent. We keep cooks and maids in our houses, but in those countries, to have a chef is a huge deal. His house has separate people for housekeeping, laundry, etc. He comes from that background, but a really, really simple guy,” Ashwin said on his YouTube show – Ash ki Baat.
Billings started his CSK career with 56 runs off 23 balls with the help of two fours and five sixes. What was expected to be a promising season for the wicketkeeper-batter turned out to be a poor one. He could score just 52 runs in his next nine matches for the franchise and ended the season with a pathetic average of 13.50.
“A player like Sam Billings is a hit in other formats; he has even performed very well in the ILT20. I remember he performed well for CSK for a few games but couldn’t sustain that performance. So, he was out of the team,” Ashwin said.
“There is a lot of pressure on these foreign players. Because if four foreign players are allowed in a team, you will have to perform. The amount of professionalism puts a lot of pressure. If you don’t perform in two to three games, you will be out of the team,” he added.