Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin spoke openly about the increasing negativity regarding Indian cricket on social media. The 39-year-old supported head coach Gautam Gambhir’s message and urged fans to stop attacking individuals, while also reminding everyone that criticism should never turn into personal abuse.
Ashwin’s reaction comes at a time when the head coach is facing criticism after India lost the home Test series to South Africa 0-2. Last year, the Men in Blue also had to face a 0-3 defeat in the Test series against New Zealand. Fans questioned his methods and even demanded a different red-ball coach.
We often throw stones at characters – Ravichandran Ashwin
Talking to RevSportz, Ravichandran Ashwin said that people start judging players or coaches only after a few matches. Ashwin said it is okay to share opinions, but criticism should remain linked to cricketing reasons. He said that supporting one cricketer does not mean hating the other.
“There was a debate on whether Riyan Parag should be included in the ODI setup. It should never be about whether Riyan Parag is good or bad. It should be about what merits his selection and what doesn’t work in his favour,” Ashwin said.
He added, “But we often stonewall characters and I am really concerned about character assassination. The game should never reach this level. And I repeat again: a fan of one person should not be a hater of another.”
Why hate the famous Krishna or Harshit Rana? -Ravichandran Ashwin
Ashwin said that young bowlers like Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana become easy targets. He said that the fast bowlers were criticized a lot for several weeks and they proved their ability by performing strongly in the ODI series against South Africa.
“At some level, if we force a fan to watch the game like a movie where you have to hate the other person, then we are not doing something right. How does it make sense for you to be a fan of a certain player and then hate Prasidh Krishna or Harshit Rana for criticism?” Ashwin said.
“If Harshit Rana has not bowled well, I can say why that happened. And if he does well tomorrow, great – it is not my problem. It is not about who has done well and why I should be right.”
This is where more responsibility is needed – Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin said players, experts and fans all share the responsibility of keeping discussions responsible. He said words can affect people and the goal should be to minimize that harm.
“But it’s also up to the individuals and the people telling the game to do it responsibly. If people are affected by what we say – if five out of 10 are affected – then we should try to reduce it to six or seven, so that the remaining few can be handled. That’s where more responsibility is needed.”
After losing the Test series, India bounced back and won the ODI series 2-1. The Men in Blue will face South Africa in the first T20I of the five-match series in Cuttack on Tuesday, December 9. Both teams will use this series to fine-tune their squads and decide their combinations ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
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