Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata
Kolkata, Mar 18: India’s spin veteran Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed concern over the growing influence of “fan armies” on social media, calling the trend a “disease” and warning that it is shifting focus away from the game to individuals.
Speaking at the Revsportz Conclave, Ashwin said many opinions circulating online appear to be part of a larger, possibly organised ecosystem rather than entirely organic views. He noted that he had encountered similar opinions in private conversations before seeing them surface on social media under different identities.
While clarifying that he was not accusing players of directly promoting such narratives, Ashwin said the current environment—where cricketers are also building personal brands—could encourage amplification of certain viewpoints for public relations gains.
His remarks echo concerns earlier raised by Sunil Gavaskar and India head coach Gautam Gambhir over the increasing emphasis on individual players rather than the team.
Ashwin said the rise of personality-driven narratives has created a “superhero culture” in Indian cricket, where discussions revolve more around individuals than the sport itself.
Citing a recent example, he referred to backlash he faced after analysing the dismissals of India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill. What he described as a technical breakdown quickly turned into criticism from fans who accused him of targeting a specific player.
“For me, it’s always about the ‘what’ and the ‘why’, never the ‘who’. But it became about why I spoke only about one player,” Ashwin said, adding that such reactions reflect how discourse around cricket has changed.
Meanwhile, Ashwin also reflected on his international retirement, which came midway through the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy after he was left out of the Perth Test. With Washington Sundar preferred in the lineup, he said he understood the team was moving in a new direction.
Ashwin concluded his Test career as India’s second-highest wicket-taker after Anil Kumble, finishing with 537 wickets in 106 matches.