Off-spinner R. Ashwin has commented on the criticism of his performances after his return to the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025. Stressing that he is open to constructive feedback, he also said that trolls have never bothered him. Ashwin and cricket analyst Prasanna Agoram shared their views on a difficult start to the season for CSK so far as well.
“Generally, nobody likes losing. Honestly, I am not bothered by the trolling. You are saying ‘don’t troll and all that, I don’t bother about that. If people are talking about you, pointing out your flaws, it can come from a position of meaning well. We can take it as constructive criticism. But, a few people, when they go after you, it is just venom,” Ashwin said on his YouTube show.
“It’s easy to find out the difference, I can easily figure out what’s constructive criticism and what’s venom. I don’t worry about that. It’s always about being better than today. This has been my life’s mantra. I don’t worry about that too much. It’s coming from a position of love when people are genuinely talking about you, ranting about your performances. My father still reprimands me if I get out. My parents scold me. As far as criticism is coming from a place of love, it’s absolutely fine,” he again said.
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R Ashwin also stated that he stays away from social media during tournaments, and this year too he has been following the same.
“It’s also not easy being fans. Even when I was at Rajasthan Royals, I totally go off. I don’t engage with you even when you talk about the game to me. I am thoroughly invested in the process when you are in the heat of the tournament. I completely eliminate social media. I don’t comment anything. My friends sometimes message me ‘don’t worry, stay strong’ when I am not doing well. I tell them don’t tell me these things too. I am not interested in knowing what’s happening outside. Those opinions, sometimes… There are a few who don’t know why they are trolling a player. They do it out of anger,” he said.
While talking about a conversation with Dinesh Karthik, R Ashwin shared how he praised RCB fans for their loyalty and refusal to abandon players in tough times as well.
“Talking about fandom, last year, I did an episode of Kutty stories with Dinesh Karthik. He told me one thing about RCB fandom. He said RCB fans will not let down any of their players at any stage. I agree that fandom is about criticism and keeping it real. But, no player goes out there to make mistakes. But, you can be constructive with your criticism and trolling. At the same time, there are fans who don’t let their players down. I believe they are real fans,” R Ashwin concluded.
