'MS Dhoni was very angry, he scolded Ashwin too': Sehwag recalls off-spinner's send-off to Maxwell in IPL 2014

Sehwag recalled that Ashwin had picked up some dirt from the pitch-side and blew it towards the dressing after dismissing Maxwell which MS Dhoni did not like.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag recalled an incident when MS Dhoni was miffed with Ravichandran Ashwin and even ended up ‘scolding’ him for giving an animated send-off to Glenn Maxwell during an IPL match between the Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab (Now Punjab Kings). Sehwag did not mention the exact date of the match but the way described Ashwin's celebration, it appeared to be the Qualifier 2 of IPL 2014.

MS Dhoni, R Ashwin

Sehwag said Ashwin had picked up some dirt from the pitch-side and blew it towards the dressing after dismissing Maxwell. Sehwag was at the non-striker's end at that time and Ashwin was playing for the Dhoni-led CSK.

“Even when I was playing for Punjab, Ashwin dismissed Maxwell, picked up some dust and blew it off [in celebration]. I didn't like that scene either but I didn't come out publicly to say that he should not have done that or it was against the spirit of the game, although MS Dhoni was very angry about it and scolded him a lot too,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz while sharing his views on the ‘spirit of the game’ debate after the Ashwin-Morgan heated debate in IPL 2021.

Sehwag said he did not like the celebration but he didn't publicly spark off the ‘spirit of cricket’ debate.

"But it was Ashwin's wish to do that and if someone had come out talking about it in the media or social media it might have caused an uproar too. This is the player's responsibility, right?"

"What happens inside should remain inside. If more things from the inside start coming out, I can guarantee every match will have something like this that will cause an uproar. The spirit of the game also says that players should leave what happens inside the ground as is and move on," he added.

Ashwin in six-tweet thread, slammed his critics and asked people to stand up for what is right. It all transpired when KKR bowler Tim Southee said something to Ashwin after dismissing Ashwin and the Delhi Capitals spinner retaliated. KKR captain Morgan too joined in, only to be separated by Dinesh Karthik.

It was the second run that Ashwin took when the ball had ricocheted off DC captain Rishabh Pant in the previous over that irked KKR players, clarified Karthik in the post-match press conference.

Sehwag said there was no need for the former KKR captain to give the details.

"I consider Dinesh Karthik the biggest culprit in all this. If he had not talked about what Morgan said, there would have been no such uproar. If he had said, "It was nothing much, just an argument, it happens in the game, move on," then it would have come out in that sense only. What was the need for an explanation that someone thinks this or that?" Sehwag said.