'He owns almost half of Kent' - R Ashwin's stunning revelation on former CSK teammate

Published - 04 Sept 2025, 10:21 IST | Updated - 04 Sept 2025, 10:44 IST

Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin heaped praise on England cricketer Sam Billings, highlighting his grounded nature despite immense wealth. Speaking about the wicketkeeper-batter’s lifestyle, Ashwin remarked that Billings is extremely wealthy but continues to remain humble.

Billings has featured in 30 matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL), scoring 503 runs at an average of less than 20 and a strike rate below 130. He represented Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) from 2016 to 2017, before moving to Chennai Super Kings for the next two seasons. In 2022, he turned out for Kolkata Knight Riders.

"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," Ashwin said on his YouTube show - Ash ki Baat.

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Billings began his CSK stint on a high, scoring a blistering 56 off 23 balls in his debut match. However, he struggled for consistency thereafter, managing just 52 runs across his next nine innings. He eventually finished the season with a disappointing average of 13.50.

"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," Ashwin said.

"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," he added.

Recently, Billings led the Oval Invincibles to victory in The Hundred 2025 final, defeating Trent Rockets by 26 runs. With this triumph, Billings has now been part of five T20 title-winning campaigns in his career.