Ashwin quotes MS Dhoni after Hardik's ‘doesn’t matter' remark on T20I series loss to West Indies
Social media can be brutal. It does not take long to form an opinion, nor does it take long to modify it with the wink of an aye. Hardik Pandya, the captain of India's T20I team, is the latest victim of it in Indian cricket.
After the series loss to West Indies, the all-rounder was widely condemned for his statements. Hardik, who had claimed during the ODI series that he wouldn't mind being the only one to lose a series after 17 years, said a one-off setback "doesn't matter" much after West Indies beat India in the fifth and final T20I to win the series 3-2.
"In hindsight, one series here or there doesn't matter, but the commitment to the goal is important," Hardik said following the match in Florida.
He also stated that the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States is a long time away and that this series loss should not be taken too seriously.
Ravichandran Ashwin, Hardik's colleague, disagreed. "I don't think it's too early (to talk about the T20 World Cup)," he stated on his YouTube account.
Ashwin agreed that losing a series to West Indies was frustrating, but he also mentioned that travelling in the Caribbean islands may be challenging for young players.
"There are a lot of positives to take away from this T20I series." Since they lost against a team that did not qualify for the previous T20 World Cup, it is very easy to blame the team on social media.
They have also failed to qualify for the 2023, 50-over World Cup. I'd want to share some information with you.
"I am not speaking for, backing, or supporting anyone. All of these things are secondary. If you go to the West Indies as a young person, you will face some difficulties. There will be some natural secrets in every country.
Local players are more familiar with these details than visiting ones. "This is especially true if the players are young," Ashwin remarked.
"(WI fans) Credit to West Indies," the all-rounder said of the courageous series victory. They failed to qualify for the T20I and ODI World Cups. Because of this, their entire island appeared dissatisfied.
They talked about their illustrious past. In fact, a cab driver informed me how obsessed they are with the game. Even today, they are devoted fans of the game."
Although Ashwin did not use Hardik's name, he did mention great India captain MS Dhoni to communicate an important lesson. "MS Dhoni and a few of my coaches have said, 'When you lose, you learn so many things.'" People who learn even when they win, on the other hand, will become champions," he continued.
Ashwin also discussed Team India's strengths and weaknesses in T20s. Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and the opening combination of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill received noteworthy mentions.
The main difficulty for India's T20 team, according to Ashwin, is a lack of depth in the batting department.
With Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Mukesh Kumar as bowling options, India's tail essentially began at No. 8 in the T20I series against the West Indies. One of the primary reasons for India's loss in the first T20I was a lack of depth in the batting unit.