'Not in derogatory manner': Ashwin explains 'serve drinks' comment on Sooryavanshi
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin clarified that his comments about young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 'serving drinks' were intended to emphasize the value of learning from the sidelines, not to belittle him. Ashwin praised the teenager's potential and urged observers to be patient with his development.
Why it matters
The incident reflects the intense public and media scrutiny young athletes face in India and the role of veteran players in mentoring the next generation.
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has cleared the air over his "serve drinks" remark about young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Ashwin said the comment was not made in a negative way and his intention was to highlight the importance of learning for the 15-year-old by spending time around the team.Ashwin clears the airAshwin had earlier said that Sooryavanshi could "serve drinks" or sit out if he was not picked in the playing XI. However, the former spinner explained that his words were misunderstood.Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said: “I had said earlier that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ‘can spend time, can serve someone drinks, can sit outside.' It was not in a derogatory manner."Explaining his point, he added, “I was saying that he will get so much to learn. He has such a huge learning curve to go through that if he observes it while sitting outside, he'll become even better.
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