Ravichandran Ashwin has called time on an international career spanning over 14 years and featuring 287 caps across all three formats. The 38-year-old has been a constant fixture of the Test setup ever since he made his debut in 2011 against the West Indies in Delhi and has since gone on to scalp 537 wickets, the seventh most in the format’s history and only behind Anil Kumble for India. As his career progressed, Ashwin also established himself as a handy batter and ended his career as a bowling all-rounder, with six Test tons and over 3,500 runs.
The declaration came right after the end of the rain-affected third BGT Test that ended as a dead draw and did not feature Ashwin in the XI. The off-spinner’s swansong thus remains the previous encounter in Adelaide, one of his steadily declining opportunities on overseas shores, and scalped one wicket for 53 runs while contributing 29 runs across both innings in the pink-ball fixture.
“Hello everyone. I really didn’t want to make this about myself. Honestly, I think it would have been better if Bumrah was here or Akashdeep was here. But Rohit is unfortunate to have me along his side. Since he said announced, it’s not going to take too much of your time,” Ashwin began.
“This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level. I do feel there’s a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to expose and probably showcase that in club-level cricket. But this will be the last day. I have had a lot of fun,” he announced.
“I must say I have created a lot of memories alongside Rohit and several of my other team-mates. Even though I have lost some of them over the last few years. We are the last bunch of OGs, if we can say that, left out in the dressing room. I would be marking this as my last date of having played at this level. Obviously, there are a lot of people to thank but I would be failing in my duties if I didn’t thank the BCCI and fellow team-mates. Several of them. I want to name a few of them. All the coaches who have been a part of the journey. Most importantly, Rohit, Virat, Ajinkya, Pujara who have taken those printed catches around the back to give me the number of wickets I have managed to get over the years,” Ashwin said of his teammates current and past.
“Also, a big thank you to the Australian cricket team who have been very fierce competitors. I have enjoyed my time playing against them,” he added.
“I wouldn’t be taking any questions but it’s truly a very emotional moment. I don’t think I’m in a position where I would be answering the questions in the right way. So please pardon me for that. And once again, yeah, that’s my time. Thanks for being the journalists that you’ve been, writing good things and of course writing nasty things on occasion. That’s a relationship I think we would maintain forever and I hope the cricketers to come in the future will also get the same amount of love that you’ve given me. Once again, thank you all and see you all soon. As a cricketer, I’ve just stopped and I might go on to be involved with the game because this is a game that’s given me everything. Thank you!” Ashwin concluded.
The veteran was met with a standing ovation from the entire room, including his skipper who gave him a warm embrace before Ashwin walked off into the sunset.
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