Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement on Wednesday (December 18) from international cricket following the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Brisbane.
The announcement came during a post-match press conference, where Ashwin addressed the media alongside Indian skipper Rohit Sharma after the game ended in a draw. He played in the second Test of the ongoing five-match series in Australia, but was replaced by fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja for the third Test in Brisbane.
In a glittering career spanning 14 years, Ashwin has taken 775 wickets, making him the second-highest wicket-taker for India, behind only Anil Kumble (953 wickets).
Arguably one of India’s greatest off-spinners, Ashwin will be leaving for India on Thursday.
Ashwin’s announcement
Speaking after the Brisbane Test at a press conference, Ashwin expressed that this will be his last appearance as an Indian cricketer at the international level.
“This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level, I do feel there’s a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to express that and probably showcase that in club-level cricket, but this will be the last day [for India].
“I want to thank the BCCI and the fellow team-mates. Several of them. I want to name a few of them. All the coaches who have been part of the journey. Most importantly, Rohit, Virat [Kohli], Ajinkya [Rahane], [Cheteshwar] Pujara, who have taken those splendid catches around the bat to give me the number of wickets I’ve managed to get over the years.”
Ashwin confirmed that he would be staying connected to the game, and possibly not just as a cricketer in the IPL (he is part of Chennai Super Kings now) or in the TNPL (Dindigul Dragons).
He was bought by CSK, his first IPL team, for INR 9.75 crore at the mega auction last month, and will be playing for them in IPL 2025.
Cricket world reacts
Several players from the cricket world reacted to the spin-wizards’ retirement, including Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Ravi Shastri, and Harbhajan Singh among others.
Skipper Rohit said, “He was very sure about what he wanted to do and the team has complete backing of his thought process. Whenever there was crisis, we had to look upon Ash, and then he was there to deliver for us. So, yeah, his record speaks for itself as well. He has been such a servant of Indian cricket, where he has probably not left any stone unturned.”
Kohli said, “I’ve enjoyed every bit of the journey with you Ash, your skill and match winning contributions to Indian cricket are second to none and you will always and always be remembered as a legend of Indian cricket.”
Australian captain Pat Cummins said in a post-match conference,“He will go down as one of the all-time greats. He has always been a fantastic competitor. Massive respect from our dressing room for the career that he has had.”
Ashwin’s splendid career
Ashwin ends his career with 765 international wickets, making him the second-highest wicket taker, behind only Anil Kumble (953 wickets).
With 537 wickets in Test, he becomes only the second Indian, after Kumble, to surpass 500 wickets in the format. This also places him seventh on the all-time list. He became the second-fastest bowler to reach 500 Test wickets, achieving the milestone in just 98 matches.
He is also second only to Kumble, at 475 Test wickets at home by an Indian. Kumble took one more. His success at home has made him a vital part of India’s formidable bowling attack, particularly on spin-friendly tracks.
The spinner holds the Indian record for most five-wicket hauls in Test innings, with 37. This tally also places him second on the all-time list of Test five-wicket hauls, behind only Muttiah Muralitharan’s 67. Ashwin’s 37 five-wicket hauls are equal to the legendary Shane Warne’s career tally.
Throughout his career, Ashwin earned numerous accolades, including the ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year awards in 2016. He was named to the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year five times and featured in the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Decade (2011-2020).
In recognition of his contributions to Indian cricket, Ashwin was awarded the Arjuna Award by the Government of India in 2015.
