“Shaadi ke liye toh bulaya nahi” – R Ashwin quips on not attending DC’s star wedding ahead of IPL 2026

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin quipped that he did not attend Delhi Capitals (DC) spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s wedding or reception ceremony as he was not invited for the functions. On a serious note, he added that he might not have been invited as the events might have been for near and dear ones.

Kuldeep tied the knot with longtime partner, Vanshika Singh, in Mussoorie on March 14. The wedding was attended by Yuzvendra Chahal, Tilak Varma, and Rinku Singh. Subsequently, a grand reception was held, which was the presence of Gautam Gambhir, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shikhar Dhawan, among others.

During a casual conversation on his YouTube show Ash ki baat, Ashwin was asked why he didn’t attend Kuldeep’s wedding or the reception ceremony. In a light-hearted tone, the Indian spin legend replied:

“Shaadi ke liye toh bulaya nahi [He didn’t invite me to his wedding]. Maybe it was a close event.”

Kuldeep was part of India’s T20 World Cup-2026 winning squad. He, however, only played one match during the entire tournament. Before that, the left-arm wrist-spinner had mixed returns in the home series against New Zealand. Ashwin, however, backed Kuldeep to play a big role for DC in IPL 2026. He commented:

“Last year, the way he bowled in the IPL, it was almost as if he tied the ball on a rope. He bowled wherever he wanted. He had confidence and rhythm. Recently, he hasn’t played much for India. Sometimes, he played and did well. In other games, he struggled a bit. I want to see his mindset and rhythm. But knowing Kuldeep, he will come in rhythm and will be a very crucial point of difference for Delhi.”

Kuldeep played 14 matches for DC in IPL 2025, claiming 15 wickets at an average of 24.06 and an economy rate of 7.07.

“If you put more pressure on him, you won’t get the natural flair that Axar brings” – R Ashwin on DC skipper

IPL 2026 will be a big challenge for DC captain Axar Patel. Under him, the franchise got off to a flying start last year, winning their first four games. However, their campaign fizzled out after that and they failed to make the playoffs. Axar also missed a few games due to fitness issues, which did not help the team’s cause.

Sharing his thoughts on Axar, Ashwin said that it is too early to judje him as a leader. He, however, urged DC to not put too much pressure on him so that the all-rounder can retain his cool avatar. The 39-year-old stated:

“It is very early to judge Axar as captain. Last year, I think it was a bit tough. There was an injury as well. They lost a game against Mumbai, which they should have won that game. That game changed because of a run out and revived Mumbai’s campaign.

“Axar is a calm personality. He doesn’t take much tension. I can’t say much about Axar as captain, but if you put more pressure on him, you won’t get the natural flair that Axar brings to a dressing room. According to me, he is in a very good space in his life as a batter, as a bowler, as everything,” Ashwin concluded.

Axar played 12 matches for DC in IPL 2025, claiming five wickets at an average of 57.60 and an economy rate of 8.47. With the bat, he scored 263 runs at a strike rate of 157.48.