Ravichandran Ashwin opens up on Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma's retirement, attacks their fans

Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin opened up about the ongoing discussions about the futures of senior cricketers like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja. Ravichandran Ashwin also criticized the toxic nature of fan wars on social media, urging people to focus on discussing cricket.

The 38-year-old cricketer surprised the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from international cricket after the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) at The Gabba in Brisbane ended in a draw. His mid-series retirement sparked rumors about potential issues within the Indian camp.

It's Very Difficult to Reply on the Issue - Ravichandran Ashwin

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin stated that retirement decisions are personal and that he cannot speculate on what others might be thinking.

"It's very difficult to reply on the issue. I have just retired. I know them for a long time. I can't pass judgment on what Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, or Ravindra Jadeja are thinking. Every individual has their own thinking. They only know what to do and what not to do," Ashwin said.

Fan Wars on Social Media Are Becoming Very Toxic - Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin drew a personal analogy while criticizing the growing toxicity of fan wars on social media. Ashwin said he was a huge fan of Sachin Tendulkar, but that didn't mean he disliked Rahul Dravid or any other player. He added that liking one player more doesn't justify abusing others.

"Fan wars on social media are becoming very toxic. I have always said, let's discuss cricket as cricket and not like the brand value of a player," he remarked.

"Take for example, as a cricket fan, I used to be a big fan of Sachin Tendulkar. That doesn't mean I will talk poorly of Rahul Dravid. I like Rahul Dravid too, but I liked Sachin very much. And I consider Anil bhai (Anil Kumble) as a role model. I looked up to Harbhajan Singh too. Liking one player more doesn't mean you go on abusing others. These fan wars are a new trend," he said.

It Means Batting Was Difficult - Ravichandran Ashwin

The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer defended Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli amidst recent criticism of their form in Tests. He pointed out that Rohit had admitted his struggles but remained hopeful for future performances. Ashwin also reminded people of Virat's century during the series opener in Perth.

"Rohit has also said, ‘Today I am not scoring, but it doesn't mean I won't score tomorrow.' For Virat too, he scored a hundred in Perth. People should understand that it was a low-scoring series. It created some record of the lowest overs bowled in a five-match series in many years. So, it means batting was difficult," he explained.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's performances are under scrutiny following their poor showing in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Rohit missed the match due to the birth of his second child but failed to make an impact in the next three Tests before opting out of the final Test match in Sydney.

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