Live Score
ICC Ranking
Cricket Teams
Cricket PlayersRavichandran Ashwin trolled by Manchester United fans – here is why
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin stated that the 2-year gap in Indian Premier League would increase the value of Chennai Super Kings as it had done for Manchester United, which had lost eight players in a plane crash in 1958.
Chennai Super Kings will make a comeback into the Indian Premier League in 2018 after serving a two-year suspension from the Twenty20 tournament. While fans of the franchise were vividly happy with the news, India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin went a notch ahead and compared the hiatus to the Munich air tragedy, stating that the gap “increases its value much like what it did for Manchester United when the air crash happened”.
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were banned for two years after their owners were found to be involved in betting activities.
READ | Ravi Shastri wants Sachin Tendulkar as consultant, is it conflict of interest?
The comparison drew criticism across social media, mostly from fans of Manchester United, the club that had lost eight players and three staff members on February 6, 1958.
“I think the two-year hiatus for CSK probably increases its value much like what it did for Manchester United when the air crash happened. I don’t know if it’s in the same league but surely people in Chennai and fans across the world are waiting for CSK to return. I hope it turns out to be a good comeback,” Ashwin was quoted in an interview to Cricbuzz.
READ | Sourav Ganguly’s first train journey after 16 years was dramatic - this is why
The 1958 disaster had crippled Manchester United for a while who had to sign local boys to respect fixtures and carry on with the season. Their manager Matt Busby, however, had survived the crash along with a few others, including Bobby Charlton, who was Manchester United’s highest goal-scorer until Wayne Rooney overhauled that mark a few months back.
Ashwin took to Twitter as well to justify his comparison and stated that he had been misquoted.
READ | Women’s Cricket World Cup: India take on Australia in semi-final
In a series of tweets, the off-spinner stated: “Guys please take the reporting with a pinch of salt with respect to the Munich tragedy and CSK. All I said was the break will make the Fans turn up in numbers when the come back happens. Not required to blow it out of context.”
However, the damage had already been done with fans furious that he compared an accident with a ‘crime’.
Ashwin later tweeted: “Now all those who hate me, please get off my mentions, we will catch-up sometime later when I get misquoted again. Thanks”.
READ | When Sachin Tendulkar pretended to be Dennis Lillee on the cricket field
However, that did little to help his cause with the twitteratti, stating that it was a poor justification to provide after making such irresponsible comments.
