Yousuf had called Suryakumar a pig, then defended it using Irfan Pathan's example.
The veteran off-spinner was reacting to a number of contentious statements from across the border, most notably former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf referring to India captain Suryakumar Yadav as "Suarkumar Yadav" during a television debate, a slur that sparked widespread outrage in Indian cricket circles.
Yousuf has since tried to turn the blame around by accusing former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, who had previously compared Shahid Afridi to "a barking dog" in response to the former Pakistan captain's moral bluster during the former Indian cricketer's match. Ashwin, however, declined to join in on the insults.
“I am a cricketer. Whatever love and respect I receive today is because of the things I’ve done on the cricket field. Yes, sometimes we may speak beyond the boundary line, and someone might even find value in it. But there are things best left to the experts. When we step into areas we don't understand, it gets dirty,” Ashwin said on his YouTube show ‘Ash Ki Baat.’
Ashwin made a strong statement against having illogical and impolite discussions without specifically identifying anyone.
“I read a beautiful comment recently, and it’s something I will carry with me for the rest of my life—never argue with people below your IQ level. Because they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. He will never try to come to your level. But because you have common sense. You apply logic. You will try to understand at their level. You have lost. You have lost in life. So, I would say. Please don't go to their level. Because if you do. You will lose on their playing field. You will lose easily,” he added.
Ashwin made it clear that the Indian team had no intention of engaging in off-field theatrics.
“Our truth is cricket. We are playing strong cricket, we are batting with class, and we are bowling well. Let’s just stick to that. India, as a cricketing nation, is a superpower. Let’s keep building on that,” Ashwin concluded.
India and Pakistan will clash for the second time in the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai on September 21.