Ravichandran Ashwin announces his retirement from international cricket

Veteran Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has announced his retirement from international cricket, effective immediately following the conclusion of the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Brisbane. The announcement came during the post-match press conference after the rain-affected third Test ended in a draw.

“This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level,” Ashwin confirmed, reflecting on his illustrious career with the Indian team. “I do feel there’s a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to express that and probably showcase that in club-level cricket, but this will be the last day [for India],” he added.

Ashwin shared heartfelt gratitude for his teammates and the memories created over the years. “I’ve had a lot of fun. I must say I have created a lot of memories alongside Rohit [Sharma] and several of my other teammates, even though I have lost some of them [to retirements] over the last few years,” he reflected.

The veteran spinner also expressed his thanks to key figures who were part of his career. “We’re the last bunch of OGs, if we can say that, left out in the dressing room. I will be marking this as my date of having played at this level,” he said. He particularly acknowledged the support of his teammates, naming Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and Cheteshwar Pujara, who have been instrumental in his success. “Most importantly, Rohit, Virat, Ajinkya, Pujara, who have taken those splendid catches around the bat to give me the number of wickets I’ve managed to get over the years,” he added.

Ashwin leaves behind an unparalleled legacy in Indian cricket. He has represented India in 106 Test matches, claiming 537 wickets at an impressive average of 24. This makes him India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, just behind the legendary Anil Kumble, who took 619 wickets from 132 Tests.

In addition to his remarkable bowling achievements, Ashwin also excelled with the bat, scoring 3503 runs in Test cricket, including six centuries and 14 half-centuries. He is one of only 11 all-rounders to have scored over 3000 runs and taken more than 300 wickets in the format.

Ashwin also represented India in 116 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 65 T20 Internationals (T20Is), taking 156 and 72 wickets in the two formats, respectively. His last international appearance came in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, where he claimed one wicket and scored 29 runs across two innings.