Brisbane: Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect, bringing an end to his illustrious career. He revealed his decision at the conclusion of the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Brisbane, which ended in a rain-affected draw.
Ashwin confirmed that he would be stepping down as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level. While he acknowledged that he still felt capable of playing at a high level, he expressed his desire to continue playing at the club level, marking the end of his journey with the national team. Reflecting on his career, Ashwin fondly recalled the memories created alongside teammates like Rohit Sharma and others, noting that, despite losing some friends over the years, his team had become the "last bunch of OGs" in the dressing room. He described the day as a milestone, signaling the end of his international cricket career.
Over his career, Ashwin took 537 wickets in 106 Tests, maintaining an impressive average of 24, making him India’s second-highest wicket-taker after the legendary Anil Kumble. He also contributed with the bat, scoring six Test centuries and 14 fifties. His final international match was the day-night Test in Adelaide, where he took 1-53. Ashwin also played 116 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), taking 156 wickets, and was a part of India’s 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy-winning teams. Additionally, he featured in 65 T20Is, claiming 72 wickets.
Ashwin's retirement announcement seemed imminent after a touching moment captured on TV, where an emotional Ashwin was seen being embraced by Virat Kohli during the rain delay.
He expressed his deep gratitude to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), his teammates, and the coaches who supported him throughout his journey. Ashwin acknowledged key figures such as Rohit, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and Cheteshwar Pujara for their contributions, particularly in taking key catches that contributed to his wicket tally. He also extended thanks to the Australian cricket team for being fierce competitors, noting that he had enjoyed his time playing against them.
Ashwin played a pivotal role in India’s 12-year-long dominance in Test cricket on home soil and was crucial in India’s historic 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy win in Australia. He became one of only 11 all-rounders to score over 3,000 runs and take 300 wickets in Tests. He also holds a record 11 Player-of-the-Series awards, tying with Muthiah Muralitharan.
In his farewell address, Ashwin expressed the emotional nature of the moment and politely declined to take questions, acknowledging that he might not be able to answer them in the right frame of mind. He thanked journalists for their support over the years, whether writing positively or critically, and hoped that future Indian cricketers would receive similar love and respect.
Concluding his retirement message, Ashwin noted that while his playing career had come to an end, he hoped to stay involved in the game that had given him everything.
With IANS inputs