IPL 2026: R Ashwin calls Virat Kohli's new teammate an 'absolute steal by RCB'

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin heaped praise connected New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy aft his match-winning show successful the last Test against the West Indies, which helped the hosts seal a 2-0 bid victory.On Monday astatine Mount Maunganui, Duffy claimed a five-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 5/42 successful the West Indies’ 2nd innings. The Caribbean broadside was bowled retired for 138 portion chasing a daunting people of 462, handing New Zealand a ascendant 323-run win. Duffy’s show connected Day 5 proved decisive, dismantling the mediate bid by removing Alick Athanaze, Justin Greaves, and

Roston Chase

for conscionable 7 runs combined, and besides dismissing top-scorer

Brandon King

(67) earlier taking the last wicket to seal the series.

Duffy’s haul was historic, allowing him to surpass Kiwi fable Richard Hadlee’s erstwhile grounds of 80 wickets successful a calendar year. With this effort, Duffy finishes 2025 with 81 planetary wickets, mounting a caller benchmark for New Zealand cricket. Across the series, helium took 23 wickets, importantly contributing to New Zealand’s 2-0 triumph and a beardown commencement to their World Test Championship campaign.

Ashwin highlighted Duffy’s singular signifier successful 2025 crossed formats.

On X, helium wrote: “What a cricketer Jacob Duffy is turning retired to be. 2025 has been his coming of property year. 23 wickets astatine 15.43, 40.3 onslaught complaint and MOS successful the tests against the Windies. He’s besides the existent #1 ranked T20I bowler, with a sensational 2025 successful T20s with 57 wickets astatine 18.9, 7.89 economy, and an elite 53.1 per cent dot shot rate. At 31, he's operating astatine highest efficiency.

Absolute bargain by RCB to prime him up astatine a basal terms of 2 Cr. Sensational coup.”Duffy’s show not lone demonstrated his accomplishment with the reddish shot but besides underlined wherefore helium is regarded arsenic 1 of New Zealand’s astir accordant and lethal bowlers successful satellite cricket, thriving successful some Test and T20 formats.