Former India all-rounder R Ashwin has strongly questioned the growing influence of fan armies on social media, calling it a worrying trend in modern Indian cricket. Ashwin said many of the views that surface online are often views he has already heard privately in cricket circles, raising concerns about how such stories are amplified.
Ashwin took aim at the superhero culture in Indian cricket, arguing that the essence of the game is overshadowed by personality-based narratives and branding.
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While Ashwin clarified that he was not directly accusing the players of spreading such views, he admitted that the pattern was frightening and suggested that business interests and PR machinery could be shaping public discourse.
‘SICKNESS IN INDIAN CRICKET’
Ashwin, whoretired from international cricket in December 2024 he made it clear after the Boxing Day Test against Australia that he had no problem with self-promotion, but he firmly opposed any attempt to speak ill of other cricketers.
“There’s something like a disease going on at the moment. A lot of these opinions are coming out on social media through armies of fans – I’ve heard them firsthand. Sometimes I’ve heard the same opinions at the breakfast table or at the lunch table and later they appear online under some other name. Then you ask – how is this happening?” Ashwin said at the Revsportz conclave in Kolkata.
“I’m not saying the players themselves are pushing these opinions, but it’s scary. Is there some kind of espionage going on? I’m not saying it’s happening exactly, but there’s definitely some business structure involved. Every player is an entrepreneur today, and pushing opinions out there can increase brand value or improve PR. I’m all for it.” Ashwin said that talking bad about another cricketer is something I would never do.
“WHO’S TALKING ABOUT CRICKET NOW?”
Ashwin said Indian cricket is increasingly driven by player-centric narratives rather than discussions about the game itself. Referring to the reaction to his an analysis of Shubman Gill’s appeal against New Zealand in Indore in January, Ashwin said he always focused on the ‘what’ and ‘why’ rather than the individual.
However, the conversation quickly turned to comparisons and personal agendas. He argued that Indian cricket has deviated from its essence, making the “who” more important than the cricket.
“Where did it all start? We started creating stories around players. We started painting superhero culture, film culture. Now who even talks about cricket? Nobody talks about the game itself,” Ashwin said.
“I posted a thread on Twitter a while back about what Shubman was doing that led to his dismissal in a way. For me, it’s always about the ‘what’ and the ‘why’, never the ‘who.’ But immediately it became about comparison – why only Shubman and not someone else? I was like, are you even watching what I’m doing?
“The point is that we have taken the game away from its essence, its center, and made it about the ‘who’,” Ashwin added.
INDIA SEE THE MOVEMENT OF PAST STAR CULTURE
After India’s defeat in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, head coach Gautam Gambhir made a conscious effort to dismantle the superstar culture in Indian cricket. Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar also strongly criticized the growing star culture in the team with a warning that it could damage the future of Indian cricket if left unchecked.
Emphasizing that the players must show more commitment to the game, Gavaskar urged the BCCI to take a firm stand and enforce stricter measures to restore discipline and accountability within the set-up.
After India’s Champions Trophy triumph, Gambhir reiterated that his priority as head coach is to build a strong team culture rather than supporting individual stars. He made it clear that every player in the dressing room is equal and should only be judged on their contribution to the team and country, not on popularity, fan following or social media influence.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
March 17, 2026 5:32 PM IST
