From UAE to TNPL: Ashwanth Valthapa's remarkable reinvention

CHENNAI: Very few cricketing stories offer such a gripping narrative. Two years ago, Ashwanth Valthapahad almost disappeared from serious cricket.

Today, he is set to begin a new chapter at the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) with Chepauk Super Gillies (CSG), armed with a Rs 14.45 lakh pay cheque.

Until 15, Valthapa captained Trichy's U-14 side and was on the fringes of Tamil Nadu's age-group setup. A move to Dubai took him into the UAE U-19 side before he eventually debuted for the senior team as a wicketkeeper-batter.

However, it wasn’t as smooth as he would have hoped for, having had to grind it out before making it for the three-match ODI series against Nepal.

“He always had the X-factor; he was initially picked as a wicketkeeper-batter for the national team,” UAE’s then-captain, CP Rizwan told DT Next.

As chances became scarce, Valthapa reinvented himself as a mystery spinner, something he had experimented with by mimicking different bowling actions, including Washington Sundar’s during UAE training sessions.

“He had a lot of variations and was mimicking all our main bowlers. He was so close to making it to the T20 World Cup in Australia squad (he was in the top 20) but just missed by a whisker,” Rizwan added.

The reinvention wasn’t accidental.

“I like to dominate the game, but you can only do so much as a batter; that’s why I started bowling,” Valthappa told DT Next.

"I began as an off-spinner and slowly developed different variations after watching Ajantha Mendis. I developed my skills and made my debut in T20s as an all-rounder.”

The lack of opportunities eventually pushed him towards the biggest gamble of his career returning to Chennai.

“I was told not to come to India. Because it is much harder to come to India, it was a hard decision. But luckily, I knew Sai Sudarshan from a young age, so he told me about Coaching Beyond,” Valthapa recalled.

At Coaching Beyond, Valthapa worked under former India bowling coach Bharat Arun and BCCI Level-3 coach Jayakumar Govindamenon, while also joining Swaraj CC.

"Jayakumar sir changed my batting setup based on Sai Sudharsan. That's where my basics were rebuilt," he said.

Life, though, dramatically switched for the 24-year-old when Lucknow Super Giants’ then skipper, Rishabh Pant, came to train with Arun and co. His unique action and ability to trouble batters quickly caught Pant’s attention, with the latter inviting him for a challenge – 15 runs off six balls.

While Valthapa failed at it, his short bowling stint was enough for Pant to invite him to be part of the franchise’s net bowling group at IPL 2026 – no mean feat – working alongside Carle Crowe, Arun, Justin Langer and Lance Klusner. During that stint, the mystery spinner also bowled a lot to the likes of Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran.

Back in Chennai, Valthapa's performances for Swaraj CC — including multiple five-wicket hauls and a century — earned him attention from several TNPL franchises before CSG secured his services. CSG’s mentor, Baba Aparajith, opened up on the decision to go all-guns blazing for the all-rounder.

"It was a collaborative decision (owners and management group), we had a lot of trials. We monitored him closely in both the first and second divisions (last year), and we needed an all-rounder," CSG mentor Baba Aparajith said.

"When it comes to mystery bowlers, there are very few, and that's why we went for him."

Valthapa impressed during all of CSG’s three trials by showcasing his ability to operate with both the new and old ball. Along with getting the new ball to move, he had a deceptive carrom ball that has become one of his biggest weapons.

“I have practised quite a lot with the new ball. Even when I was at nets with LSG, they asked me to bowl with the new ball,” Valthapa added about his variations.

LSG even asked him to attend training sessions ahead of matches against Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders to help batters prepare for Allah Ghazanfar and Sunil Narine. While his bowling remains his biggest selling point, Aparajith believes his batting could become equally valuable.

“He’s a very good batter, he has long levers, and is quite tall. We are really happy to get a player like him, and he’s very motivated, which is quite important.”

“At the end of the day, he’s coming into the system, he’s growing and is doing it at the right pace. But we shouldn’t put a lot of pressure on him. I’m sure he will come good, and I can see a lot of maturity in him,” Aparajith said.

While CSG is yet to give him a lowdown on his role, Valthapa is ready to grow into a middle-order role and give the side a much-needed impetus in the middle overs and at the death, possibly at No.5 or No.6.

For a cricketer who rebuilt his career one delivery at a time, the auction wasn't the destination. It was merely proof that the gamble had been worth taking.