After former India captain Virat Kohli’s resignation in 2022, several names were mentioned as potential replacements, including Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Jasprit Bumrah. However, one name that was often overlooked was veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, despite his previous experience as captain.
Ashwin has now addressed the issue, stating that his sincerity was mistaken for ‘overthinking’ and prevented him from getting leadership opportunities.
In an interview with the Indian Express, Ashwin explained, “A lot of people positioned me as an overthinker. But someone who plays 15-20 matches in a row doesn’t have to be mentally overthinking. It’s different for someone like me who only gets two games. It’s my job, my journey. So this is what suits me.”
“If someone tells me, ‘you’ll play 15 matches, you’ll be taken care of, you have to be responsible for players, you’ll be in a leadership role,’ then I won’t be overthinking. Why would I?” added Ashwin.
When asked if this perception of being an overthinker worked against him, Ashwin responded that people deliberately created this perception to undermine his prospects of becoming a leader.
The 36-year-old also opened up about how his relationship with his teammates has changed over time. He noted that there was a time when they were friends, but now everyone is focused on advancing their own careers and surpassing their teammates.
“There’s a big difference because here people are there to advance themselves and to go ahead of the person next to them. Nobody has the time to ask, ‘okay, boss what are you up to?'” explained Ashwin in the interview with Indian Express.