Ravichandran Ashwin, beyond his supremacy in spin bowling, was a shrewd watcher of the game. He would often approach his captain to offer the right strategy. Most times, the advice yielded favourable results. Ashwin had precise assessments of each batter and was never short of cunning plans. The player understood the rules of the game better than the umpires.

Like most other Indian players, Ashwin has great command over the English language and he used it wisely to attract a massive follower base on his YouTube channel. Treading a different path, Ashwin used to discuss cinema and literature on his channel which hit the right chords with people. Ashwin's online interviews with stars including Sanju Samson went viral during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ashwin, who played for Punjab Kings in IPL 2019, dismissed Jos Buttler, a non-striker of Rajasthan Royals, for leaving the crease before the ball was released. Many criticised the incident as having taken away the spirit of cricket but it did little to deter Ashwin who was adamant that his Mankad was according to the rules of the game.

Ashwin used the carrom ball strategy to confuse his opponents in his early days. Instead of turning the ball, the ball was released by flicking it between the thumb and a bent middle finger to impart spin. Ashwin is also the first bowler to practice reverse carrom ball successfully to give nightmares for the opposition.