“Respect for opposition doesn’t come with victory & defeat”- R Ashwin gives a cheeky response to Ramiz Raja’s statement

“Respect for opposition doesn’t come with victory & defeat”- R Ashwin gives a cheeky response to Ramiz Raja’s statement

R Ashwin [L] and Ramiz Raja [R]

Recently, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ramiz Raja stressed how Pakistan isn’t the underdogs after they started defeating India in the big matches and how Indians have started respecting Pakistan players because of this.

“Pakistan have always been underdogs whenever they have played against India. But, of late, they have started to give them respect, knowing that they can be beaten in this contest. This is where Pakistan should get credit as the India is a ‘billion-dollar’ team,” Raja had said.

YouTube video

When India stalwart spinner R Ashwin was asked what he thinks of Raja’s statement, “Until you said that, I didn’t know he made a statement like that. That’s one way of dealing with it,” Ashwin said while speaking to reporters at Perth.

ALSO READ | “Tribute to Pak 99 all out against Zimbabwe”- Netizens reacts Kuldeep Yadav’s 4-fer restricts South Africa to a mere 99 in the decider ODI

“Whatever political tensions and whatever stays between the teams, the rivalry is big”- R Ashwin

R Ashwin
R Ashwin

In the T20 World Cup in 2021, Pakistan defeated India comfortably by 10 wickets in UAE. Until that match, India had never seen a defeat against its arch-rivals in the World Cups, be it ODI or T20I. In the Asia Cup 2022 too, despite India’s taking revenge for the World Cup defeat, Rohit Sharma‘s Men in Blue suffered a loss when the two countries clashed again in the group stage. 

R Ashwin stated further that notwithstanding political tensions, the rivalry between the country is still big and it means a lot to the people from both countries.

“But look, it’s a game of cricket. Whatever political tensions and whatever stays between the teams, the rivalry is big, it means a lot to the people from both countries. But at the end of the day, whatever you may say as a cricketer and as someone who is playing the sport, you do understand that wins and losses are part of the game, especially in this format, the margins are going to be so close,” he added.

“Respect for the opposition is not something that comes with victories and defeat. It comes with how you are made, and we certainly respect the Pakistani side, and so do they,” R Ashwin told reporters in Perth.

ALSO READ | “I googled you….found no career in cricket…get a life”- Aakash Chopra bashes a fan who called the commentator a ‘failed cricketer’

ALSO READ | WATCH: Chris Gayle jokes that the price of Lamborghini tripled up after he signed the car