One of the biggest veterans in the ongoing Indian Indian Premier League, Ravichandran Ashwin, has detailed how the IPL’s growth caught even the players off guard. The wily spinner recounted how when he entered the league, his only aim was to learn from international cricketers who were his teammates at various franchises. In its 17th season currently, the Indian Premier League is hands down the biggest cricket league around the world. The advent of IPL and its instant success not only led to cricket leagues springing up around the world, but also inspired franchise-based leagues in various sports like football, badminton, kabaddi and volleyball in India. “No one envisaged the kind of growth that the IPL has had. I still remember a conversation I had with Scott Styris when we were both at CSK. He told me that when he was playing for the Deccan Chargers in the initial seasons of IPL, he did not think the IPL would last for more than two-three years. Initially, there was a big influx of money,” Ashwin said …