Stop the character assassination: Ravichandran Ashwin urges to 'stop pelting stones' after coach Gautam Gambhir targeted

Ravichandran Ashwin warned that the rising culture of character assassination is dragging the sport into a toxic space it was never meant to inhabit.

Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin issued a strong reminder to fans and critics on Monday, echoing Gautam Gambhir’s call to keep cricket conversations on social media healthy and responsible. He emphasised that debates should focus on performance and selection rather than personal attacks. His comments come at a time when the Indian head coach faced a wave of online hostility following India’s Test defeat to South Africa at home last month. Ashwin warned that the rising culture of character assassination is dragging the sport into a toxic space it was never meant to inhabit.

Ashwin had his say on social media criticism

Speaking to RevSportz on the sidelines of an event, Ashwin was asked about the growing impatience among social-media critics, who are quick to dismiss a player or coach after just a few matches and just as quickly elevate them after a good performance. Gambhir found himself in the former situation last month after India suffered their second home Test series whitewash in 12 months, both under his tenure as head coach. The 0–2 defeat not only triggered criticism of his approach, but also saw sections of fans call for his sacking, while others demanded a specialist red-ball coach.

Ashwin explained that criticism is healthy only when it focuses on performance and selection, rather than making personal attacks. He said debates should be about why a player deserves a place and what goes against them, rather than tearing down individuals.

"It's okay to criticise anybody, okay? The attempt from my side, and that of others, should always be to reason out the criticism. For example, there was a debate on whether Riyan Parag should be included in the ODI setup. It should never be about whether Riyan Parag is good or bad. It should be about what merits his selection and what doesn't work in his favour.

But we often get into this pelting of stones at characters, and what I'm really concerned about is character assassination. Sport should never get down to that. And I repeat again: a fan of an individual doesn't have to be a hater of another. Ultimately, let's recognise that a fan of a particular player is a responsible cricket viewer," Ashwin, who shared the dressing room with Gambhir both as a teammate and later under his coaching tenure, said.

Ashwin also namedropped India fast bowlers Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana, who have been at the centre of social media criticism over the last few months. However, both produced impressive performances during the recently-concluded ODI series against South Africa.

"At some stage, if we make a fan view the game like a movie where you have to hate the other person, then we are not doing something right. How does it make sense for you to be a fan of a certain player and then hate Prasidh Krishna or Harshit Rana for criticism? If Harshit Rana hasn’t bowled well, I might say why that happened. And if he does well tomorrow, great — that’s not my problem. It’s not about who has done well and why I should be right.

I keep saying the same thing: I can make a prediction; I can make a mistake because I'm human, and that's fine. At the end of the day, I'm not an astrologer. These conversations should remain open," he added.

Ashwin concluded by saying that players, commentators, and fans should approach discussions responsibly, aiming to minimise negative impact.

"But it's also up to individuals and those narrating the game to do so responsibly. If there are people impacted by what we say — if five out of 10 are affected — we should try to make it six or seven, so the remaining few can be handled. That’s where more responsibility is required."