'Moment of Admiration: Ravichandran Ashwin meets chess legend Viswanathan Anand'

New Delhi: Ravichandran Ashwin took to Instagram on Sunday morning to share a photo from an unforgettable flight journey with chess legend Viswanathan Anand. Ashwin expressed his excitement, saying, "It was great to have a fanboy moment with the legend himself."

Earlier in July this year, Ashwin became a co-owner of a team in the Global Chess League. He is the co-owner of the American Gambits team, which is led by World No. 2 Grand Master Hikaru Nakamura.

Anand, who has won five World Championship titles and became India’s first Grandmaster in 1988, shared a special message welcoming the legendary cricketer to the chess world.

A post shared by Ashwin (@rashwin99)

Anand had posted, “Congratulations Ashwin on the exciting new venture in the chess world! As someone who has outplayed the best players in cricket, I am sure you will bring the same competitive spirit to the Global Chess League with American Gambits. May your journey be as great as your cricket career! Best of luck in London!”

Apart from being a smart cricketer on the field, Ashwin is also an avid chess player. During the 2022 IPL, he was spotted playing chess with one of his teammates on a flight during Rajasthan Royals’ Mumbai to Kolkata trip.

Last month, the star all-rounder became the highest wicket-taker in ICC World Test Championship (WTC) history during the second Test against New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune.

He picked up three wickets on the opening day of the Test and took his tally to 189 wickets in 39 matches in WTC history from 2019 to 2024, surpassing Australia’s Nathan Lyon who had 187 wickets in 43 Tests.

Last month, the star all-rounder became the highest wicket-taker in ICC World Test Championship (WTC) history during the second Test against New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune.