Virender Sehwag’s hilarious roasting of Ravichandran Ashwin during his Hindi commentary debut stole the show in IPL 2026, sparking an unforgettable on-air exchange.
Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin stepped into a new role as he made his Hindi commentary debut during the IPL 2026 opener between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Known for his analytical mindset and outspoken nature, Ashwin didn’t hold back as he predicted a strong performance from the Ishan Kishan-led SRH side at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
However, even before the match could unfold, Ashwin found himself at the receiving end of some light-hearted banter from former India opener Virender Sehwag, who welcomed him to the commentary box in his trademark witty style.
“Aaj yaha par dil ki baat kiya jayega, na ki soch samajh kar baat kiya jayega. (Today, we will speak from the heart, not with logic or careful thinking,” Sehwag said.
Ashwin, though, ever sarcastic with his online comments and analysis on YouTube, replied with a witty dig that was indirectly hurled at Sehwag.
“Mere parents ne abhi tak jo sikhaya tha, aap uska ulta bata rahe hai. Mere parents ne bataya hai soch samajh kar bolna chahiye, bina soche kuchh nahi bolna chahiye. (My parents have always taught me to think before I speak and never say anything without thinking first. But you’re telling me to do the complete opposite,” Ravichandran Ashwin replied.
Sehwag’s Classic Banter Leaves Everyone in Splits
What followed was an entertaining exchange between Ashwin and Sehwag, sparked by a simple question from Aakash Chopra about pressure heading into the game.
Sehwag: “Toh bhai mujhe toh lag raha hai ki aaj dabaav saara Ashwin ke upar hai. Yeh nayi murgi hai. (I think the entire pressure is on Ashwin today; he’s the newcomer.)”
Ashwin: “Maine bada prediction bhi kiya hai aaj SRH ka… SRH dhoom machayenge. (I have made a big prediction for SRH today… they will do wonders.)”
Sehwag: “Woh toh tu waise bhi karta hai dressing room mein baith ke. (You do that anyway while sitting in the dressing room.)”
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Sehwag then took things a step further by narrating a hilarious incident from their playing days, putting Ashwin in an awkward yet amusing spot.
Sehwag said, “Ek baar, mujhe yaad hai Ashwin captain tha, toh mere saath dressing room mein baitha hua tha. Bola, ‘Paaji yaar, off-spinner aa gaya, main kya karoon?’ Maine kaha, ‘Tu ja, pehli ball se ghuma.’ (I remember when Ashwin was captain, he was sitting with me in the dressing room. He said, ‘Paaji, an off-spinner has come on, what should I do?’ I told him, ‘You just go and swing from the first ball.’)”
Sehwag added, “Teen-chaar over ho gaye, koi out nahi hua. Hum gappe maarte rahe. Finally, koi out hua toh Ashwin gaya. Pehli ball hat ke maar raha tha, out ho ke wapas aa ke baitha. Bola, ‘Nahi, itna aasaan nahi hai.’ Maine kaha, ‘Haan, itna aasaan nahi hai.’ (Three or four overs passed and no one got out, so we kept chatting. Finally, someone was dismissed, and Ashwin went in. He tried to create space to hit the first ball but got out. He came back, sat down, and said, ‘No, it’s not that easy.’ I replied, ‘Yes, it isn’t that easy.’)
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