Former India off-spinner R Ashwin has been accused of helping New Zealand ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 final against India on March 8 in Ahmedabad, by giving out strategies on how to counter India batters.
New Zealand will have a difficult assignment, though, as India is the top-ranked side in the T20I format and has several superstars. The Kiwis want to be on point tactically because of this. And this is where some fans on social media were offended by a recent video from R Ashwin.
Ashwin, who retired from international and IPL cricket last year, has turned into a celebrated YouTuber, sharing his deep insights into the game and accurate analysis of the way cricketers play their game. He runs two channels on YouTube, one in Hindi and another in his mother tongue, Tamil.
Ashwin discussed tactical fights throughout the game in a video released prior to the India vs. New Zealand final. One of the topics he covered in this was how New Zealand can stop the hard-hitting Shivam Dube.
“Take the ball wide away from him or be behind his boots or get him to cut that ball. If you’re missing these lengths, Shivam Dube is going to take you for plenty,” he said in his video.
While Ashwin also discussed other matchups, online fans began accusing the former spinner of attempting to assist New Zealand after seeing the Dube film.
Some of the fans even asked the BCCI to intervene to stop ex-cricketers from sharing such videos ahead of important tournaments or matches.
Here are some reactions:
