Ravichandran Ashwin hit out at a troll on social media who claimed that the former India spinner indirectly stepped on Virat Kohli while analyzing India’s win over New Zealand in the third T20I in Guwahati.
India chased down the target of 154 in just 10 overs to secure a 3-0 lead in the five-match T20I series. In a post-match video on his YouTube channel, Ashwin spoke about India’s evolving batting approach, highlighting the shift from a conservative style to an aggressive, high-tempo brand of cricket.
During the discussion, Ashwin recalled T20 World Cup 2024 Final vs South Africawhere India scored 176 in 20 overs and defended a total of seven runs. He also praised Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling and Suryakumar Yadav’s deft catch. However, his failure to mention Kohli’s crucial 59-ball 76 in the final led to accusations from a section of fans that Ashwin was indirectly criticizing the senior batsman.
Responding to one such post on X, Ashwin clarified that there was no issue between the two and revealed that he had spoken to Kohli personally. “Just spoke to Virat about the indirect attack concerns and we both had a good laugh about how social media works in such clickbait fan wars. Thanks for giving us a reason to connect and talk,” Ashwin wrote.
Fan rivalry is a recurring feature on social media, especially for India’s biggest names. Fan battles between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma fans are among the most prominent, while similar debates involving Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni have also been common over the years.
Ashwin and Kohli have shared a long partnership in Indian cricket. Both made their Test debuts in 2011 and during Kohli’s captaincy, Ashwin emerged as India’s leading run-getter and later became the country’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. The duo played a key role in several notable achievements, including India’s historic Test series victory in Australia in 2018, sustained domestic dominance, five consecutive ICC Test mace titles and a World Test Championship final appearance.
Although there were occasional reports of differences, particularly around Ashwin’s selection in overseas Tests, the two announced their Test retirements just months apart. Ashwin’s final moments in the Indian dressing room were marked by a warm embrace with Kohli, underscoring the mutual respect between the two senior cricketers.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
January 29, 2026
