Overview

• Ashwin shared a screen recording on Instagram captioned "Fake Adam Zampa tries to strike" after receiving WhatsApp messages from an impersonator.
• The sender requested contacts for Abhishek Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma, Rinku Singh, and Shivam Dube, and later attempted a follow-up call.
• Ashwin played along by asking if MS Dhoni’s number was needed and joked he was "compiling in Excel," after which the texter shared a card labeled "MS Dhoni Indian Cricketer."
• Reports identified the number as UAE-based, and the exchange quickly drew wide reaction online.
• The episode comes as Ashwin, retired from IPL and Indian domestic cricket, prepares to play the full Big Bash League season with Sydney Thunder after going unsold at the ILT20 auction.