New Headline: "Indian Super League's Ashwin Tries to Defend His Raw Tweets on Fan Comments
Cricket icon Ravichandran Ashwin has voiced strong concerns about 'fan armies' on social media, labelling their influence a 'disease.' He believes these organized narratives, often focusing on individuals over team performance, are shifting focus away from the game itself. Ashwin shared his personal experience with criticism after analyzing Shubman Gill's dismissals, highlighting the shift towards a superstar-driven culture.
India’s spin great Ravichandran Ashwin has raised concerns over the growing influence of “fan armies” on social media, suggesting that some of these narratives may not be entirely organic. The veteran off-spinner described the trend as a “disease”, linking it to the rise of an intense, superstar-driven culture in Indian cricket. Ashwin’s remarks echo similar concerns voiced by Sunil Gavaskar and current India head coach Gautam Gambhir, both of whom have previously questioned the increasing focus on individuals over the team.
While acknowledging that modern cricketers are building personal brands and managing their public image, Ashwin made it clear that such efforts cross a line when they come at the expense of fellow players. “There’s something of a disease going around right now. Many of the opinions that surface on social media through fan armies – I’ve heard them before, first-hand.
Sometimes, I’ve heard these exact views at a breakfast or lunch table, only to see them later appear online under a different name. That’s when you start to wonder: how is this happening? ” Ashwin said at the Revsportz Conclave in Kolkata.
129649141 “I’m not saying players themselves are planting these opinions, but it is concerning. Is there some kind of orchestration? I can’t say for certain, but there does seem to be a structured ecosystem at play.