Asia Cup 2023: Angry Ravichandran Ashwin Blasts Those 'Degrading' India Players, Blames 'IPL Warfare'
With the announcement of India's Asia Cup 2023 squad, there have been debates raging in social media on whether it is a good squad.
With the announcement of India's Asia Cup 2023 squad, there have been debates ranging in social media on whether it is a good squad. While most expected names got a call-up, a couple of them missed the berth. India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who is not part of the squad, is irritated at such discussions. Ashwin talked about two players who were selected in the Asia Cup squad to drill home the point. One among them is Tilak Varma, who is yet to play an ODI, while the other is Suryakumar Yada, whose ODI form has been very bad, a fact accepted by the player himself. Â
"Tilak hasn't scored much in this Ireland series so far. But he is showing unreal intent from the first ball. And this youngsters is coming to bat with a clear mind. Since he is bringing some freshness into the squad, they have backed him for that backup slot. Similar with Surya," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.Â
"He has that x-factor and that's why the team is backing him to come good in the ODI format as well. We will go back in time to see how we have won World Cups. be it MS Dhoni or any other captain, they have backed their players to come good. Of course, if you want to have a for and against debate for dropping or selecting player, you can have a healthy debate. We all know how good a player Suryakumar Yadav has been. His impact, what a match-winner he has been, and he has been our go-to T20 player. I think this is all IPL warfare."
He elaborated on how the IPL fandom should not make the fans myopic.Â
"When you get into the World Cup, we should see all our players as representatives of India. Once IPL gets over, put a cloth, move on, and once the player plays for India, accept that he played really well in the IPL. Fans are engaging in war even after IPL," he said.Â
"Let us say, SKY is batting along side Virat Kohli in a crucial chase. Even if you are not a Mumbai Indians fan you will appreciate Suryakumar and will want him to take us home, right?Â
"The selectors know what they are doing. In a huge country like India, when you select a squad, there will be some key players who will be missing the cut. So, just because your favourite is not there in the squad, you should not degrade the others."
India begin their Asia Cup 2023 campaign against Pakistan on September 2 in Colombo.
India Cricket Team
Ravichandran Ashwin