Last Updated on 6 months by Charbel Coorey

Cricket News: Rajasthan Royals and India offspinner R Ashwin has shared his thoughts on the Hardik Pandya situation that has dominated headlines

Ravichandran Ashwin has taken aim at India’s “fan wars” and “cinema culture” in light of the atmospheres that Hardik Pandya has faced so far in IPL 2024.

Hardik took over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma at Mumbai Indians this season – a decision that has not been met kindly among millions of Indian fans. The all-rounder has been subjected to booing and hostile receptions at both Ahmedabad and Hyderabad so far this season.

Pandya led the Gujarat Titans to the title in 2022 and then were within a whisker of defending it in 2023. Titans fans did not appreciate how things eventually panned out, with Hardik moving to the Mumbai Indians seemingly out of the blue.

India fans need to remember which country Hardik represents – R Ashwin

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin believes India fans should not pin fans against each other. He called for fans to “get their act together” and put an end to “ugly” scenes.

“People should remember which country these players represent. It’s our country, ” Ashwin said. “Fan wars should never take such an ugly route. I’ve said it many times, this is cinema culture, that happens only here.”

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Ashwin then painted the picture of other countries. The offspinner said that this kind of fan war would not happen in England or Australia.

“I know there are many things like marketing, branding, and positioning. I don’t deny it, but have you seen these fights happen in any other country?” Ashwin continued.

“Have you seen, for instance, Joe Root and Zak Crawley fans have a fight? Or Joe Root and Jos Buttler fans fight? It’s crazy. Do you see Steven Smith fans fighting with Pat Cummins fans in Australia?”

“You are free to enjoy what you like about your favourite players or team, but not at the cost of putting another player down. This is one thing I’d love to see disappear from the face of the earth in our country.”

Ashwin’s Royals take on MI at the Wankhede on Monday. It shapes up as a crucial match for Hardik’s team given they have lost their opening two matches while the Royals are gunning for three straight victories.