The statement “colleagues not friends” by Ravichandran Ashwin is clarified as “what I said and what people are understanding is completely different.”

In terms of most wickets for India in Test cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin ranks second. The off-spinner has taken 489 wickets in 94 Tests. After declaring that contemporary cricketers are colleagues rather than buddies, Ashwin recently shocked the cricketing community. Following his exclusion from the starting lineup for the World Test Championship match against Australia in June, he made this declaration shortly after.

Some followers supported Ashwin’s viewpoint, while others were shocked by his audacity. However, the illustrious bowler clarified his remarks in a recent interview, adding that the intention behind it was unclear. He explained that because there are now various teams for various formats, players don’t get to spend as much time together as they once did, which is why they don’t become friends.

“What I said and what they are hearing are quite different things. I was trying to say that earlier there was more opportunity for friendship because the excursions used to be longer. But we play games all the time now, in various forms with various teams. I’ve always believed that it’s really challenging to be friends with someone when you play for opposite teams. To compete, you need to maintain your competitive spirit, the 36-year-old told the Times of India in an interview.

India’s team for the ODI World Cup 2023 may not include Ravichandran Ashwin.

In recent years, India has favored wrist spinners in white-ball cricket over finger spinners. Due to his all-around skills, Ravindra Jadeja holds his position while Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Ravi Bishnoi are occasionally switched.

It will be intriguing to watch whether Ashwin, who last played an ODI against South Africa in January 2022, decides to join India’s side for the forthcoming 50-over World Cup. The batsman from Tamil Nadu was a member of the group that won the 2011 ODI World Cup, and if the selection committee wants to go with experience, Ashwin might get the nod. The wrist spinners have recently performed admirably, so it seems highly unlikely.