As the Indian cricket landscape undergoes a tectonic shift, the former all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin It has sparked a much-needed fire regarding the internal culture of the game. Speaking at the RevSportz Conclave in Kolkata, Ashwin, who bids farewell to the international stage after the prestigious Boxing Day Test in December 2024, sharply criticized the ‘disease’ infecting the sport: the rise of organized fan agendas and a stifling superhero culture that prioritizes personal brand value over the game.
Ravichandran Ashwin criticizes fan armies, warns against idolizing cricketers
Ashwin’s comments go beyond simple social media trolling. He pointed to a sophisticated business structure where player-centric narratives are created and amplified by the PR machinery. They noticed a scary pattern where private conversations held at the team breakfast table often appear online under the guise of organic fan opinion. While Ashwin was careful not to accuse active players of fabricating stories, he highlighted that the modern cricketer is now an entrepreneur, and the pressure to increase brand value has led to an environment where speaking ill of teammates has become a tool for self-promotion.
“Where did it all start? We started creating stories around the players. We started portraying a superhero culture, a cinematic culture. Who even talks about cricket now? no one talks about sportsAshwin said in the programme.
The veteran off-spinner, who finished his career as India’s second-highest Test wicket-taker with 537 wickets, lamented that the essence of cricket has been lost. Citing an example from early 2025 regarding his technical analysis of Shubman GillAfter getting out, Ashwin said how the discussion immediately turned to personal comparisons rather than study of the game. For Ashwin, the shift from analyzing a delivery to defending a “superhero” marks a departure from the intellectual center of Indian cricket.
“A while back, I put up a Twitter thread about what Shubman was doing that was leading to his dismissal in a certain way. For me, it’s always about the ‘what’ and the ‘why’, never the ‘who’. But immediately it became about comparisons – why only Shubman and not anyone else? I was like, do you follow me too? The point is, we took the game down to its essence, its Took away the focus, and made it about ‘who’,he adds.
Also read: Suryakumar Yadav reveals how he was approached for India’s T20I captaincy role
Ending star culture: The mandate of Gautam Gambhir and Sunil Gavaskar
Ashwin’s criticism is completely in line with the broader movement currently taking place in the Indian dressing room. After a challenging 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the head coach Gautam Gambhir Have been vocal about their mission”Build a super team, not superstars” Gambhir, who led India to a historic Champions Trophy 2025 title and a third T20 World Cup in March 2026, has consistently argued that the media’s obsession with individual TRPs and social media following is detrimental to collective success.
This sentiment was echoed by the legend Sunil GavaskarWho had recently urged BCCI to implement strict accountability. Gavaskar’s no-holds-barred advice emphasized that the ‘pampering’ of stars must end, advocating a culture where complete commitment to the national badge is the only currency for selection. like with giants Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli Entering the final stages of his career, the management’s focus has turned towards equalizing the dressing room.
Also read: Ricky Ponting hails Gautam Gambhir’s game-changing calls in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign
