Hyderabad: Recently retired cricketer from international cricket, star Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has made headlines with his comments in Hindi language. While addressing the students at a private college event, Ashwin stated that Hindi is not the national language of India. The spinner made the remark after asking students whether they are interested in asking questions in Hindi if anyone didn't have proficiency in English or Tamil The crowd fell silent after Ashwin’s query.
After witnessing students’ reactions based on language preference, Ashwin addressed the issue of language in India.
"I thought I should say this: Hindi is not our national language; it is an official language," he stated.
#Watch | தமிழுக்கு அதிர்ந்த அரங்கம்.. இந்திக்கு SILENT..
The statement from the Indian off-spinner drew strong reactions on social media.
Ashwin also said that he never pursued the captaincy despite many speculating that he would take the role.
"When someone says I can't do it, I wake up to accomplish it, but if they say I can, I lose interest," Ashwin explained.
Ashwin played a key role for the national side picking 537 wickets from 106 Test matches. After making his debut against West Indies in Test cricket, the 38-year-old played a pivotal role in India’s Test victories at home. Also, he was part of the 2011 ODI World Cup winning team and bowled crucial spells in the powerplay for the Indian team. In limited-overs cricket, Ashwin has 156 ODI wickets from 116 matches while picking 72 wickets from 65 matches.
The off-spinner took retirement amidst the India-Australia Test series and that also raised questions over whether everything is going well in the team or not.
