CHENNAI: Adithya Ashok, a young New Zealand leg-spinner with Tamil roots, has the words ‘en vazhi thani vazhi’ tattooed on his bowling arm. The epic punchline from Rajinikanth’s Padayappa movie translates to ‘my way is my own’.Staying true to it, the Vellore-born Adithya is carving his “own path with love and passion” in professional cricket after turning out in the 2020 U-19 World Cup. He has represented the Black Caps in two ODIs and one T20I and has consistently been a member of the NZ ‘A’ set-up. The 22-year-old recently earned his maiden NZ central contract for the 2025-26 season.In his “journey”, Adithya has made a ‘pit stop’ in his homeland to expand his “library of knowledge”. The leggie is one of four players part of a two-week New Zealand Cricket (NZC) training camp at the Super Kings Academy.“My parents moved to Auckland when I was about four years old and I call NZ my home. In saying that, a part of me understands my heritage and where I am from. I am proud of my Tamil heritage; it is a part of who I am and the people I represent. It feels special to come back and visit the place that I have a deep connection with,” Adithya told TOI.“We have had an amazing time at the academy so far. I cannot speak highly enough of the experience we have been having here. If I encounter similar conditions in the future, I can rely on the experience I am gaining here. I am now more well informed to have success.”Well aware that he is unlikely to get exposed to such spin-friendly conditions in NZ, Adithya is leaving no stone unturned to shape himself into a better slow bowler. Having a familiar face in academy head coach Sriram Krishnamurthy – he worked with Adithya in NZ during his U-19 days – next to him has made the “challenge” easier.“I have an understanding of how the black and red-soil pitches work. I also understand the effectiveness of bounce and over-spin on surfaces in NZ. I cannot rely on turn and a massive amount of sideways movement off the pitch at all times. So I am learning to turn the ball the right amount… how to make little changes in technique, action or angle at the crease. In order to improve, I need to take these little things to NZ,” Adithya said.Adithya, who is mentored by former Black Caps spinner Tarun Nethula, is firmly focused on being the best version of himself rather than worrying about his national-team selection. “My ambition is to play a lot of international cricket; everyone has the dream of winning matches for the country. In order to get to that place, I have to be the best player I can be,” added Adithya.
