Spin Legend Ravichandran Ashwin Retires From International Cricket

It’s a bittersweet day for Indian cricket fans, as one of the finest spinners of his generation, Ravichandran Ashwin, has announced his retirement from international cricket. The 38-year-old revealed his decision to step away from the game following the drawn third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Ashwin’s retirement from international cricket came as a sudden and unexpected shock. Just days earlier, he had featured in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Adelaide. While it wasn’t his finest performance—picking up just 1 for 53 in the day-night match—retirement was the last thing on anyone’s mind. However, when cameras captured Ashwin deep in an emotional and intense conversation with Virat Kohli after the third Test ended in a draw, fans began to sense something was up. A few hours later, Ashwin confirmed the news, announcing his decision to step away from international cricket. 

In an emotional press conference after the Brisbane Test, Ashwin thanked his teammates, coaches and the fans for the support they have shown throughout his career. He said, “This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level... I've had a lot of fun. I have made a lot of memories alongside Rohit (Sharma) and several of my team-mates, even though we've lost some of them (to retirements) over the last few years. We're the last bunch of OGs, we can say that. I will be marking this as my date of having played at this level. Obviously there are a lot of people to thank, but I will be failing in my duties if I didn't thank the BCCI and fellow team-mates. I want to name a few of them, some of the coaches (also) who have been part of the journey. Most importantly, Rohit, Virat (Kohli), Ajinkya (Rahane), (Cheteshwar) Pujara, who have taken some of the catches around the bat and given me the number of wickets I've managed to get over the years." 

While Ravichandran Ashwin has closed the door on his international career, the 38-year-old will still play cricket on the domestic level. The spin legend confirmed this during the press conference. He said, “I feel there's a little bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I'd like to express that, showcase that in club-level cricket.” Ashwin bows out of Test cricket as one of India’s all-time greats, finishing as the country’s second-highest wicket-taker in the format. With an incredible 537 wickets at an average of 24 in 106 matches, he stands just behind the legendary Anil Kumble, who claimed 619 wickets in 132 Tests. But Ashwin’s impact wasn’t limited to the ball—he was a genuine all-rounder. Scoring 3503 Test runs with six centuries and 14 fifties, he’s a part of an elite club of just 11 players in history to achieve the double of 3000+ runs and 300+ wickets in Tests. Adding to his remarkable career, Ashwin earned a record 11 Player-of-the-Series awards, matching the iconic Muttiah Muralitharan. Truly, a legend in every sense of the word.