R Ashwin Shuts Down Panellist Over MS Dhoni and CSK Mention During YouTube Show

Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, known for his sharp cricketing skills, has become a social media star, especially through his YouTube channel. Ashwin initially gained fame as a cricketer who occasionally uploaded content on YouTube, but he has increasingly turned into a professional content publisher and continues playing cricket professionally. But his growing presence on YouTube has not been without controversy, especially concerning discussions about his IPL franchise, Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Ashwin was a participant in a recent YouTube conversation where a panellist referred to something about MS Dhoni and CSK. The panellist was trying to highlight the importance of leadership in cricket while naming MS Dhoni alongside others like Sanju Samson and Shreyas Iyer. The panellist went on, "The leader is a guy like Sanju, a guy like Shreyas Iyer, a guy like Thala Dhoni." This aside, although offhand, did not sit well with Ashwin, who immediately retorted by asking the panellist to refrain from referring to MS Dhoni and his former team, CSK.

Ashwin, who started his IPL career with CSK, immediately told the panellist, "Sshhh. Ssshhhh." The panellist attempted to clarify by saying, "No, you shouldn't be the one talking. I can talk. I am part of the audience." But Ashwin, sticking to his point, replied by clarifying that even when he was playing for Rajasthan Royals, he never talked about his previous teams. He stressed the fact that it wasn't all about CSK; he never shared his views about any franchise he played for.

The tension started when Ashwin's YouTube posts created a certain controversy regarding CSK. Ex-South African cricketer Prasanna Agoram, who had himself been an analyst in the past for Royal Challengers Bangalore, identified an issue with CSK adding Afghan spinner Noor Ahmad to the lineup, especially since the team already had veteran campaigners like Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin himself. This was a subject that sparked a lot of talk, and even CSK head coach Stephen Fleming was queried about it. Fleming himself, however, did not appear to be cognizant of Ashwin's channel and dismissed the issue by saying, "I didn't even know he had a channel, so I don't know that stuff. That's irrelevant."

Despite the dismissal of Fleming, the melodrama continued building. In response to the rising hype for his YouTube content, Ashwin came out with a dramatic announcement stating that his channel would not present any CSK matches or CSK-related content for the duration of IPL 2025. This was an attempt to maintain distance from the rising melodrama, particularly against his former team and the subsequent controversies within the IPL.

Ashwin's reply on his YouTube program is a testament to his strategy towards not mixing his professional cricket life with his YouTube life. His statement to the panellist about not talking about some players or teams, especially CSK, reflects that he wants to separate his life as a cricketer from his life as a content creator. This is also a focus on the subtleties of having the public on one's side as a cricketer, where whatever one says will create controversy and argument.

As IPL 2025 continues, only time will tell whether this scandal dies out or continues to rage on social media and within the cricketing fraternity. Till then, Ashwin has already made it clear that his YouTube channel is not going to be taking sides of the issue when it comes to CSK, something that will surely be the subject of conversation among fans and the media.