In December 2016, during the fourth Test of the India-England series at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, a single press-conference remark turned into one of the most memorable on-field confrontations of the decade. James Anderson, speaking after Virat Kohli’s commanding 235, suggested that any technical weaknesses Kohli still carried were simply not being exposed on Indian pitches the way they had been in England two years earlier. This comment did not sit well with the Indian dressing room.

The next morning, England were nine wickets down and Anderson walked out to bat. Ravichandran Ashwin was waiting for this moment to give him a message. The off-spinner made it clear he was disappointed by the remarks and that defeat should be accepted for what it was. No abusive language was used, but the message was simple. Virat Kohli, usually the most aggressive player on the field, found himself playing peacemaker. He stepped in and calmed the situation and later told Anderson that these things happen and it was time to move on.

When Ashwin was asked about this in the recent episode on a Star Sports show called Cheeky Singles, the memory of this moment was fresh. Ashwin said “He shouldn’t have said that.” This video has gone viral on social media.

R Ashwin reveals the only Hardik Pandya trade deal Mumbai Indians should accept

The rumours regarding the trade of Hardik Pandya has been strong in the last few weeks. There have been reports stating that franchises like CSK and KKR are in the race. Ashwin believes those two franchises are the frontrunners if Mumbai decide to part ways with their captain, but he also outlined the kind of deal he thinks the franchise should demand. Speaking on his Tamil YouTube channel, Ashwin said Mumbai Indians should only consider doing trade with Kolkata Knight Riders if the deal significantly strengthens their own squad.

“Don't count out Hardik going to a franchise other than CSK or KKR. The talk is that CSK will give Dube and a pacer, while KKR will give away Cameron Green. What happens if Green decides to focus on the Ashes next year? If I were MI, I would accept a deal with KKR on only one condition: getting Harshit Rana and Rinku Singh in return. That is the only way MI gets stronger," Ashwin said.

The former CSK player also said that Mumbai Indians should only trade if they think the opposition will not get stronger. He noted that they should ensure the direct competition does not get stronger while also keeping their combination in mind. 

"MI will also think about who between CSK and KKR gets stronger through the Hardik trade. If CSK give away Dube and one Indian pacer to get Hardik, they get strong but not invincible. However, if KKR get Hardik, they suddenly look very strong. KKR will become a lethal batting lineup with Hardik. These are teams with five, five and three titles, so MI have to think about how they can ensure one of these teams doesn't leapfrog them," he added.