Ravichandran Ashwin Announces Retirement from International Cricket, Leaves as India's Second-Highest Test Wicket-Taker

During India's post-match press conference, Ashwin humbly stated, "I prefer not to focus on myself. Today marks my final day as an international cricketer, and I am grateful for all the memories I have made. As one of the last original gangsters in the dressing room, I want to express my gratitude to the BCCI, my teammates, and all the coaches who have supported me throughout my career. While my time as an India international cricketer comes to an end, I look forward to continuing my passion for the sport through club cricket. It has been a truly enjoyable journey."

Speculations about Ashwin's future gained steam when, during the rain interval on Day 5, the cameras captured Virat Kohli hugging an emotional Ashwin. Something was definitely brewing – Ashwin was also spotted spending time with his Australian counterpart Nathan Lyon. On a live broadcast, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar pretty much confirmed Ashwin's retirement, which turned true a couple of hours later.

Ashwin's retirement comes in the middle of the India vs Australia Test series. He played just one Test in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He was named in the playing XI for the second Test in Adelaide, which Australia won by ten wickets. In the match, Ashwin took just one wicket and recorded scores of 22 and 7. Ashwin has long served Indian cricket and is inarguably one of the greatest off-spinners the country has ever produced. He played 106 Tests, 116 ODIs, and 65 T20Is for India, taking 775 wickets across all formats.

In Tests, Ashwin has picked his wickets at an average of 24 and a strike rate of 50.7; he also has 37 five-wicket hauls. The list of accomplishments doesn't just end there. Ashwin goes out as the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Tests and is currently the highest-taking bowler among off-spinners in Tests; however, Nathan Lyon will eventually surpass his record.

Ashwin made his Test debut in 2011 against the West Indies. However, his international debut came a year before when he was named in the ODI playing XI for a match against Sri Lanka. Ashwin burst onto the scene when he played alongside MS Dhoni for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL. The World Cup-winning captain brought out the best in Ashwin, often entrusting him with the new ball inside the Powerplay.

The spinner did not disappoint, as Ashwin often dismissed the likes of Chris Gayle in the powerplay. Grooming Ashwin in the IPL paved the way for Dhoni to unleash the bowler in international cricket, and there has been no looking back ever since then. Ashwin came to his own in 2011 and was part of India's 2011 World Cup-winning campaign and 2013 Champions Trophy wins.

Ashwin's legend in Tests unmatched

Despite not doing too badly in limited-overs, Test matches are where Ashwin made a mark, making him pretty much irreplaceable. He made the opposition batters dance to his tunes, especially in India. Ashwin also enjoys a phenomenal record against left-handed batters. Of all his Test wickets, 383 have come in India at an average of 21.57. Despite being a modern-day great, Ashwin was often benched when India played overseas. Ashwin played 26 Tests in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia).

Ashwin also proved to be a gritty customer with the bat in hand, scoring six centuries and 10 half-centuries in Tests. In 106 matches, he scored 3503 runs at an average of 25.75. He also recently scored a century against Bangladesh.

Ashwin bows out of the international arena, truly being a great of the game. He will next return to action in the IPL 2025, where he will return to play for the Chennai Super Kings, after being bought by the franchise during last month's mega-auction.

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