Ashwin shuts down fake news about Virat Kohli retirement, warns to fact-check next time

Veteran India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin recently called out an X account for spreading false information about his teammates Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's retirement plans. With the Champions Trophy final coming up against New Zealand, all focus is on the senior players in the team - Kohli and Rohit. India has had a strong showing in the tournament, remaining unbeaten thus far, thanks in part to Kohli's match-winning performances against Pakistan and Australia, and Rohit's explosive starts in almost every game.

The senior stars already announced their retirements from T20Is after winning the 2024 T20 WC and they will be eyeing another ICC title on Sunday to add another accolades to their illustrious careers.

An X account shared a fake R Ashwin quote on its profile, mentioning Kohli might retire soon while Rohit will continue to play for India and target the 2023 ODI World Cup.

"Ravi Ashwin said - As far as I know Rohit is targeting 2027 odi wc while you may see Virat Kohli hanging up his boots soon because he wants to spend more time with his young family that is what Virat discussed to me few months back.(Via his YT channel)," an X handle named Vishu posted.

Ashwin didn't hold back, slamming the account for creating a fake quote with him cast in the lead role.

"Heartwarming to see humans still excelling at creative storytelling in this AI era. Nice script but maybe check with me next time before casting me in the lead role?" Ashwin wrote on X.

‘Last time India played in Dubai was during COVID’: Ashwin

Meanwhile, in the latest video on his YouTube channel, Ashwin also slammed the critics who are taking shots at the Indian team for playing all their matches in Dubai and labelling it as ‘home advantage’.

“I can only laugh at the questions directed at our captain, coaches in the press conference about 'home advantage'. In 2009 Champions Trophy, South Africa played all their matches at the same venue and they did not qualify for the final. It is not South Africa's fault that they did not qualify. Let's accept that India have played class cricket and have reached the final due to top performances. Last time India played in Dubai was during COVID. After that New Zealand, England, South Africa played in Dubai,” Ashwin said, while speaking on his YouTube channel.

ICC Champions Trophy , ICC Champions Trophy Schedule , and Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table – stay ahead with real-time match updates, team standings, and insights. Check live cricket score , player stats, and ICC rankings of top players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli . Get expert analysis, match previews, and in-depth coverage of ICC CT 2025, IPL 2025 Schedule and IPL 2025, all on HT Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times – your trusted source for cricket news along with India vs New Zealand Live Score. .freemium-card h4{color:#fff; padding-bottom:20px;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{padding-bottom:16px; color:#fff;} .freemium-card .freemium-content{width: auto; max-width: inherit;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{max-width:inherit; font-size:18px; padding-top:0; line-height:24px} .freemium-card .btnSubc{margin} .freemium-card .btnSubc a{background:#000; color:#fff; min-width:auto; padding:5px 15px; border-radius:6px; font-size:16px; line-height:22px; font-weight:700;} .freemium-card{height:285px} @media (max-width: 767px) { .freemium-card h4{font-size:28px} .freemium-card .freemium-content{max-width:360px; padding: 20px;} .freemium-card{height:303px; background-position: 100% 0; } }