In a Mid-Week Review of IPL 2025, CSK player Ashwin and former South African Cricket analyst Prasanna Agoram discussed about the five-time champions campaign. Prasanna acknowledged fans’ frustrations but highlighted positives, including Khaleel Ahmed and Noor Ahmad‘s strong performances, with both competing for the Purple Cap. He also noted Dube’s potential and Ruturaj’s impressive strike rate of 150.

The analysts praised MS Dhoni’s performance, with Pdogg highlighting his average of 91 and Pathirana’s brilliance in the death overs. He believes CSK are starting to click, and consecutive wins could turn the tide. As a CSK supporter, Pdogg expressed confidence in their comeback, saying, “I know they will come back, and I have no doubts about that.”

In response, CSK spinner Ashwin shared his thoughts on the current situation. He acknowledged that no one likes losing and emphasized that he is constantly looking for ways to improve his game. “I put my thinking cap on and find avenues where things can be changed. Honestly, I am not very bothered about the trolling that is happening right now. When certain criticisms are levied against you, it can help you as a player, and I take it as constructive criticism.”

Handling criticism with a positive mindset

Ashwin addressed trolling, saying, “I’ve been playing long enough to differentiate between constructive criticism and venom. What matters is improving my game. Criticism often comes from a place of love, like how my parents scold me when I get out. As long as it’s from a place of love, I’m not flustered by it.”

He also shared his approach to staying focused during tournaments, saying, “I am thoroughly invested in the process and stay completely off social media during the tournament. In fact, I tell my friends not to tell me anything, not even ‘don’t worry, stay strong.’ I don’t know what’s happening at all, especially since some of the comments come from people who have no idea why they are angry. As a fan, I would always support the Indian cricket team. I had a schoolmate who was an Australian fan, and he used to make fun of me when Australia got the better of us in the ’90s.”

Ashwin recalled his past conversation with Dinesh Karthik. “Talking about fandom, last year I did the ‘Kutty Stories’ episode with Dinesh. He told me that RCB fans always support their players. I agree that fandom is about criticism and keeping it real too. No player goes out in the middle to make mistakes, but trolling should be constructive. I strongly believe that real fans would not let their players down.”