Ashwin praises Sam Billings for humility despite immense wealth
Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has lauded England cricketer Sam Billings, describing him as a man who has stayed grounded despite his privileged background and considerable wealth.
Speaking about Billings’ lifestyle on his YouTube show Ash ki Baat, Ashwin said, “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.”
Billings has played 30 matches in the Indian Premier League, scoring 503 runs at a strike rate below 130 and an average of less than 20. He began his IPL journey with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) from 2016 to 2017 before representing Chennai Super Kings for the next two seasons. In 2022, he turned out for Kolkata Knight Riders.
His CSK stint started promisingly with a sensational knock of 56 runs from 23 balls on debut, but he struggled to maintain that form and managed just 52 runs across the next nine innings, finishing with an average of 13.50. Reflecting on this, Ashwin stated, “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.”
Lot Of Pressure
Explaining the difficulties international players face in the IPL, Ashwin further noted, “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 on me. If you don’t perform in two to three games, you will be out of the team.”
Meanwhile, Billings has continued to find success on the global circuit. He recently captained the Oval Invincibles to victory in The Hundred 2025 final, where they defeated Trent Rockets by 26 runs. This win marked the fifth T20 title triumph in his career.
Billings Captaincy Masterclass
R Aashwin recently announced his retirement from IPL and is now looking to explore different leagues around the world. If he plays The Hundred by any chance, he could again reunite with Sam Billings. Billings recently won The Hundred yet again with Oval Invincibles.
Sam Billings has steadily built an impressive resume as a T20 captain. He first guided Kent Spitfires to their Vitality Blast triumph in 2021, followed by lifting the ILT20 trophy with Dubai Capitals. Most recently, he added The Hundred 2025 title with Oval Invincibles to his tally, taking his career total to five T20 titles as skipper. With this achievement, Billings now joins an elite list of successful T20 captains, standing just behind MS Dhoni, who leads the chart with nine titles, and Rohit Sharma, who has secured eight.
Ashwin, who is currently in talks with Cricket Australia, is reportedly set to participate in the next edition of the Big Bash League, further broadening his cricketing involvement.
