'Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli...': R Ashwin lambasts 'superstar culture' in Indian cricket

The former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has voiced his worries about the "superstar mentality" that has emerged in Indian cricket. In an open discussion on his Hindi YouTube channel, Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin emphasized how important it is for cricket players to maintain their humility and relationships with everyday individuals. He emphasized that players should be viewed as dedicated athletes rather than celebrities or actors. Despite their celebrity and sporting accomplishments, Ashwin's remark serves as an important reminder for athletes to be grounded and personable.

"We must normalise all these things going forward. We are cricketers. We are not actors or superstars.

“We are sportspersons, and we must be someone that the common people should resonate with, and can compare themselves with.”

The veteran off-spinner emphasized team accomplishments over individual accolades, citing Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – two of India's premier batsmen – as examples.

"For example, if you are a Rohit Sharma or a Virat Kohli, who have achieved so much. When you hit one more century, it is not just about your achievement anymore. It should be business as usual, and our goals should be bigger than these achievements."

In addition, Ashwin expressed doubts about the composition of the Indian team for the upcoming Champions Trophy, specifically challenging the management's decision to field five spinners in the starting lineup. Ashwin believes that the team's lineup, which includes Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, and Varun Chakravarthy, may be too reliant on spinners.

"Five spinners in Dubai? I don't know. I think we are one spinner too many, if not two. The two left-arm spinners are your best all-rounders alongside Hardik Pandya. So both Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja are going to play. Hardik will also play and Kuldeep will play. If you want Varun Chakravarthy in the team, then you will have to make a pacer sit out and use Hardik as your second pacer. Else you will have to drop a spinner to bring in a third seamer," Ashwin explained.

Five days before their opening match against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the Indian team and support crew departed for Dubai on Saturday. Instead of going to Pakistan, India has made the decision to play all of its matches in Dubai.

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