Ashwin slams superstar culture in Indian cricket, says 'we must normalise things'

New Delhi: Stop treating Indian cricketers as demigods and "normalise things" going forward so that they remain grounded and relatable to common people, spin legend R Ashwin said while slamming the prevailing superstar culture in the team.

Ashwin, India's most successful off-spinner with 765 international wickets across formats, said batting maestros such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma scoring a century should be considered "business as usual" as they have already achieved so much in their career.

"It is important to normalise things in Indian cricket. We must not encourage this superstardom and super celebrities within the Indian cricket team," Ashwin said on his Hindi YouTube channel, 'Ash Ki Baat'.

"We must normalise all these things going forward. We are cricketers. We are not actors or superstars.

"We are sportspersons, and we must be someone that the common people should resonate with, and can compare themselves with." In recent times, Indian men's team's head coach Gautam Gambhir has also strongly spoken against the superstar culture in the team, and like Ashwin, urged that the focus should be on team effort rather than individual achievements.

Gambhir, himself a successful former India player who has rubbed shoulders with legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble, has made it his mission to end Indian cricket's affinity for superstardom.

Ashwin, who retired from international cricket after a glittering 14-year career, further said, "For example if you are a Rohit Sharma or a Virat Kohli, who have achieved so much. When you hit one more century, it is not just about your achievement anymore. It should be the business as usual, and our goals should be bigger than these achievements." Ashwin believed that personal milestones should not overshadow the ultimate goal of winning tournaments for the country.

The spin great also raised concerns over the Indian selectors' decision to name five spinners in the team for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.

India have picked Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja and Varun Chakravarthy in the final squad for the mega event starting in Pakistan on February 19.

"Five spinners in Dubai? I don't know. I think we are one spinner too many if not two," he said.

"The two left-arm spinners are your best all-rounders alongside Hardik Pandya." "So both Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja are going to play. Hardik will also play and Kuldeep will play.

"If you want Varun Chakravarthy in the team, then you will have to make a pacer sit out and use Hardik as your second pacer. Else you will have to drop a spinner to bring in a third seamer," Ashwin said.

The Tamil Nadu player, who finished his career with 537 wickets in 106 Tests, 156 scalps in 116 ODIs and 72 in 65 T20Is, decided to retire abruptly from all forms of cricket after the drawn third Test against Australia in Brisbane.