India’s Ravichandran Ashwin has raised concerns about the growing influence of “armies of fans” on social media, suggesting that some of these stories may not be entirely organic. The veteran off-spinner described the trend as a “disease” and linked it to the rise of an intense superstar-driven culture in Indian cricket.Ashwin’s comments echo similar concerns expressed by Sunil Gavaskar and current India head coach Gautam Gambhir, who have previously questioned the team’s increasing focus on individuals.
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IPL 2026 should be an audition for India’s next T20I captain Ashwin acknowledged that modern cricketers build personal brands and manage their public image, but made it clear that such efforts cross a line when they are at the expense of other players.“There’s something like a disease going on here right now. A lot of the opinions that come out on social media through the armies of fans – I’ve heard them firsthand. Sometimes I’ve heard those exact opinions at the breakfast or lunch table, only to see them later on the Internet under a different name. That’s when you start asking: how is this happening?” Ashwin said at the Revsportz conclave in Kolkata.
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“I’m not saying that the players themselves are pushing these views, but it’s worrying. Is there some kind of orchestration? I can’t say for sure, but there seems to be a structured ecosystem in the game. Today, every player is an entrepreneur and reinforcing views externally can increase brand value or improve PR. I understand that. But talking negatively about another cricketer is something I would never do.”
The rise of personality-driven narratives
According to Ashwin, the dominance of such narratives has begun to distract from the game itself, with discussions increasingly revolving around individuals rather than the essence of cricket.Drawing from personal experience, he pointed to the backlash he received after analyzing the dismissal of India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill. What started as a technical glitch soon turned into criticism from a section of fans who accused him of targeting a specific player.“Where did it all start? We started creating stories around the players. We built a superhero culture, almost cinematic in nature. Who even talks about cricket anymore? Few focus on the game itself,” Ashwin said.“Some time ago I shared a thread on Twitter explaining the technical reasons for Shubman’s firings. For me it’s always about the ‘what’ and the ‘why’, never the ‘who’. But it quickly turned into a comparison – why focus only on Shubman and not the others? I wondered if people were even following what I was saying? The problem is the conversation is about individuals and we’ve shifted the game.
The end of a glorious run
Meanwhile, the veteran off-spinner called time on his international career amid the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy after being left out of the Perth Test. He announced his decision at a post-match press conference in Brisbane. With Washington Sundar preferred over him, Ashwin recognized that the team was heading in a new direction. He finished as India’s second highest wicket-taker in Tests behind Anil Kumble, who took 537 wickets in 106 matches.
