End of an era. Ravichandran Ashwin, one of India’s greatest all-rounders, stunned the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from international cricket after India’s rain-curtailed drawn Test against Australia at the Gabba. In an emotional speech during the post-match press conference, Ashwin reflected on his illustrious career, leaving fans and teammates teary-eyed.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement message!
“I do feel there’s a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer,” Ashwin began, hinting at his desire to continue playing at the club level. “But this will be the last day, and I had a lot of fun. I must say I’ve created a lot of memories alongside Rohit and several of my other teammates, even though I lost some of them over the last few years.”
The off-spinner, who amassed over 700 wickets across formats, described his journey as one filled with joy, challenges, and camaraderie. “We (talking about Rohit, Kohli, and himself) are the last bunch of OGs, if we can say that, left out in the dressing room. I’d be marking this as my date of having played at this level.”
A heartfelt thanks by R Ashwin
Ashwin extended gratitude to his teammates, coaches, and the cricketing fraternity. “A big thank you to the Australian cricket team, who’ve been very fierce competitors. I enjoyed my time playing against them. And, of course, thanks to the BCCI and my teammates—Ajinkya, Pujara, and others—who took those 100 catches around the bat to give me the number of wickets I managed.” While Ashwin opted not to take questions, he left on a hopeful note. “This is my time. The game has given me everything, and I might stay involved in some way. Thank you all.”
