Winning purple or orange cap inconsequential: Ashwin

Winning "Purple" or "Orange" Cap is inconsequential in the larger context unless a player executes his role to perfection while contributing to team's cause, feels senior Delhi Capitals off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. In IPL, the highest scorer in the tournament gets 'Orange Cap' and top wicket-taker bags the 'Purple Cap' but Ashwin feels that monikers like these are useless until the team wins matches.

"Such numbers don't matter. Purple and Orange Cap is an eye-wash. It's about contributing towards victory, playing your roles (in victory)," Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel answering to a fan's query about whether strike-rates are over-rated and all the statistical inputs at times are over-hyped or not.

The show 'Hello Dubaiaah' is in Tamil with English sub-titles. Ashwin then gave an example how a defensive stroke could be the need of the hour in certain situations. "If you are nine wickets down with 10 runs to get and you might end up playing a defensive shot off the fifth ball of the 19th over. It is as per the need of the team. This is just for analysis," Ashwin said while discussing with South African national team's performance analyst Prasanna Agoram.

Ashwin feels that "analysis, criticism and praise" runs in parallel and there is no point in mixing it. "Enjoy yourself and watch the sport," he said.