Celebrating Ravichandran Ashwin: The End of an Era as He Retires from All Formats of Cricket
CricketPanditRavichandran Ashwin has announced his retirement from all formats of cricket effective immediately, following the draw in the third Test against Australia in Brisbane on Wednesday (December 18). At the time of his retirement, the 38-year-old was ranked fifth among bowlers and third among allrounders in the ICC Test rankings.
As India’s second highest wicket-taker in Tests, trailing only Anil Kumble, Ashwin has concluded a remarkable 14-year career, having played 106 Tests, with his last match being the day-night game in Adelaide during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He holds the record for being the fastest bowler to reach 250, 300, and 350 Test wickets, finishing with a total of 537, which places him seventh on the all-time list of highest wicket-takers in Test history.
“This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level,” he stated during a press conference alongside Rohit Sharma after the Brisbane Test. “I do feel there is still some fire left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to channel that into club cricket. This will be my final day. I had a lot of fun.”
“I must say I created many memories with Rohit and several of my other teammates. Even though I have lost some of them over the years, we are the last group of original players left in the dressing room. I will remember this day as my last at this level.”
“Of course, there are many people to thank, but I would be remiss if I didn’t express my gratitude to the BCCI and my fellow teammates. I want to mention a few of them, along with all the coaches who have been part of this journey.”
“Most importantly, I want to thank Rohit, Virat [Kohli], Ajinkya [Rahane], and [Cheteshwar] Pujara, who have taken those catches that contributed to my wicket tally over the years. A big thank you also goes to the Australian cricket team, who have been fierce competitors. I have truly enjoyed playing against them,” he added.
