There were reports of senior cricketers standing against India captain Virat Kohli.
India's off-spinner R Ashwin has slammed a news agency for spreading fake news using his name. He joked about them on his social media account and mentioned that 'IANS' has changed their name from 'Fake News'.
Ashwin lambasted IANS after a report from them suggested he revolted against the Indian captain Virat Kohli and complained to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for giving the senior players harsh treatment.
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The IANS report further said Kohli was disappointed with Ashwin for not showing intent and performing up to the mark in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand. Another report by The New Indian Express claimed Kohli was also unhappy with two other senior batters in the side after WTC final defeat.
The two batters were reportedly Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane - who personally met with Jay Shah to complain against the captain.
But Ashwin's Instagram stories hinted that the stories are cooked up against the Indian captain. "I am searching for the handle called "Fake News", it used to be super fun for Gossip", he wrote.
In another story, Ashwin joked about IANS and added, "Oh yaaa!! Thank you guys. Found them: I just heard they have renamed themselves and are now called IANS and some others take quotes from them too. Super fun".
Currently, Ashwin is playing for Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Indian Premier League 2021. He will be playing in the 2021 T20 World Cup for Team India in UAE and Oman.