Aus vs Ind BGT 3rd Test – Ravichandran Ashwin Announces International Retirement

On December 18, 2024By Littum

“This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level,” Ashwin said after the Brisbane Test at a press conference. “I feel there is a bit of bat left in me as a cricketer but I want to express it and probably showcase it in club level cricket but this will be the last day (for India).

“I’ve had a lot of fun. I have to say I’ve made a lot of memories with Rohit (Sharma) and several of my other teammates, even though I’ve lost some of them (from the India team) over the last few years We is the last bunch of OGs, if we can say so, left out of the locker room and I will mark this as my date to have played at this level.

“Of course there are many people to thank, but I would be remiss if I did not thank the BCCI and the other teammates. Several of them. I would like to name a few of them. All the coaches who have been part of the journey, most importantly of everything, Rohit, Virat (Kohli), Ajinkya (Rahane), (Cheteshwar) Pujara, who have taken the amazing catches around the bat, give me the number of wickets I have managed to get over the years.

“Also a big thank you to the Australian cricket team who have been very tough competitors. I have enjoyed my time playing against them.”

Ashwin said he would not be taking any questions from the media and was just there to announce the news, saying: “Really a very emotional moment. I don’t think I’m in a position to answer the questions. on the right way. Forgive me for that. Thank you for being the journalists you have been, writing good things and of course writing ugly things. Cricketers coming in the future will also get the same amount of love.”

And finally, he confirmed that he would remain associated with the game, and possibly not just as a cricketer in the IPL (he is part of the Chennai Super Kings now) or in the TNPL (Dindigul Dragons). “See you soon. As a cricketer, I’ve just stopped it. Maybe I’ll stay involved in the game because it’s a game that has given me everything.”

He was bought by CSK, his first IPL team, for INR 9.75 crore in the mega auction last month and will play for them in IPL 2025.

Rohit, who sat with Ashwin when the latter made his announcement to the press, said: “Some decisions are very personal and I don’t think too many questions should be asked or raised. If a player has (made) a choice, him to get that choice and someone like Ashwin, who has been there for us for so many years, is allowed to make those kinds of decisions on his own and we as teammates have to respect that. He was very sure of what he wanted to do and the team fully supports his thought process.

“Obviously there’s a bit of a gap (between tests) now, so for us as a team to regroup and gather our thoughts on this is very, very crucial right now. We’ve got some time to think about how we’re going to Go on.” But when he talked about Ash, he was very sure of his decision.

“I heard (about the plan to retire) when I got to Perth. Obviously I wasn’t there for the first three or four days of the first Test match, but he’s had it on his mind ever since then, and there’s obviously a lot of things. I’m pretty sure Ash will be able to answer that, but he understands what the team is thinking, he understands what kind of combinations we’re thinking about and when we got here , we weren’t sure which spinner is supposed to play We just wanted to assess and see what kind of conditions we have in front of us.

“But when I got to Perth it was a chat we had and I somehow convinced him to stay for the pink-ball Test match and then it just happened that if he felt that if there I’m not needed right now in the series, I’d better say goodbye to the game.

“But obviously we haven’t been to Melbourne yet so we don’t know what kind of conditions we’re expecting there and what kind of combination. But just remember Ash and give him the respect that if that’s what he thinks we should allow him to think that way. And we should all know what he’s thinking at this point.

“That’s what I’m thinking right now and that’s the kind of chat we’ve had too – me and Gautam Gambhir too. It’s important when a player like him who has had so many moments with the Indian team and he’s been a really big match-winner for us, is allowed to make those decisions on his own, and if it was now, then so be it.”

Ashwin ends his Test career as India’s second-highest wicket-taker in the format, with 537 wickets at an average of 24 in 106 Tests, behind only Anil Kumble, who finished with 619 wickets from 132 Tests.

He played only one of the first three Tests of the ongoing series in Australia, taking 1 for 53 in the day-night match in Adelaide. In the previous series, the 3-0 defeat at home to New Zealand, Ashwin had picked up just nine wickets at an average of 41.22.

As he is not a regular in the XI in India’s overseas matches, and their next Test series an away tour in England, Ashwin will be 39 when India’s next domestic season arrives.

In addition to his wickets, Ashwin also scored 3503 Test runs with six hundreds and 14 fifties, making him one of 11 all-rounders with more than 3000 runs and 300 wickets. He also won a record 11 Player-of-the-Series awards, level with Muthiah Muralidaran.

In an international career that started in 2010 and included the 50-over World Cup victory in 2011, Ashwin also played 116 ODIs and 65 T20Is, picking up 156 (average of 33.20) and 72 (economy rate of 6.90) wickets in the two. formats respectively. However, he has not tried white-ball cricket for India since October 2023, when he appeared in an ODI World Cup match against Australia in Chennai.