‘Never Did It’: R Ashwin Exposes India Men’s Team After Women’s WC Trophy Gesture | Cricket News

Ravichandran Ashwin said the Indian men’s team never gave this much respect to the previous generations.

(PC: X, AFP)

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has praised the Indian women’s team for the ‘unbelievably good’ gesture of celebrating their 2025 World Cup triumph with their senior, retired cricketers, including Jhulan Goswami, Mithali Raj, and Anjum Chopra, soon after the final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. He even said the men’s team never did such a thing, limiting itself to only ‘media-trained’ statements in public.

Ashwin’s remark came a day after Harmanpreet Kaur’s team beat South Africa by 52 runs to clinch its first-ever World Cup title. Former captains Goswami, Raj, and Chopra, all working as commentators on the game, celebrated with the team, taking turns to lift the trophy, dancing, and even shedding a few tears.

“The entire Indian team gave the trophy to Mithali Raj,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. “Why did they do it? I am actually taking my hat out. The Indian men’s team never did it. They only say it sometimes in front of the media because they are media-trained. But I have not seen them give credit to the previous generations. What I have seen is discussions about ‘my generation’s team is better than yours’. But this women’s team, Anjum Chopra was there, Mithali Raj was there, they gave the trophy to them in delight, telling them that the seeds that you sprinkled and watered are the seeds that are standing as winners today. I found that fascinating, unbelievably good,” he added.

Ashwin said the Women in Blue realized that their win was not just their own, but was built on the hard work and contributions of the legends before them. He praised them further for not needing to be told about it either.

“Today’s win is not of today’s alone. It has been a work of 25 years, probably three decades… That’s why I find this women’s team amazing. They have got everything on the right track. When you win, you are on a real high, and still you remember to celebrate the previous generations of cricketers who were there in the dressing room. They did that at that moment, not after somebody asked you to,” Ashwin added.