On December 18, 2024, shortly after the Gabba Test match against Australia, India’s top spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, announced his retirement from international cricket. The match ended in a draw, and with two games remaining in the series, the spinner, while not being in the playing XI, made the decision to retire. Many cricket fans were surprised that he retired in the middle of the series.
It is important to remember that Ashwin only participated in the second Test match in Adelaide during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25.
The Tamil Nadu spinner recently discussed his choice and gave the rationale behind not choosing to play a last match. He disclosed that once he had focused on his final game, there was no guarantee that he would be included in the starting lineup.
“I’d like to play cricket more. What location is it? Not from the Indian dressing room, of course, but from somewhere else. I want to tell the game the truth. What would happen if I wanted to play the final test but didn’t merit a spot? Imagine that the only reason I am on the squad is because it is my final exam. That is not what I desire. I thought my cricket had greater strength. When people question “why” rather than “why not,” I could have played longer, but it’s always preferable to finish,” Ashwin posted on his YouTube page.
The veteran, who has taken 765 international wickets in three different formats, also stated that he made the choice on instinct when he believed his work was done. When he believed that the same was no longer there on the global scene, he stated that he wanted to express his creativity somewhere else. The 38-year-old made 29 runs in two innings while taking one wicket in his most recent Test match.
“I think a lot. What to do in life. All of you must realise that this occurs naturally. There is nothing left to think about once someone realises that their work is done. A lot of things were spoken. It’s not a huge deal, in my opinion. You speculate about what took place. The first Test was not played by me. I didn’t play the third, but I did play the second. I might or might not be able to play the next one. I wanted to investigate this aspect of my creativity. I thought that was the end of my creativity at that point. “It was easy,” he added.
“What difference would it make if I had the ball and everyone applauded? For what length of time will people discuss it? Without social media, people would discuss it and then forget about it within a week. A farewell is not necessary. We have benefited greatly from the game and have had a great time playing it,” Ashwin said.
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