A cricketer only calls time when he knows that he has had “enough” and something must have snapped within Ravichandran Ashwin when he decided to announce his retirement, former India opener WV Raman, who also happens to be his first-class coach, said on Wednesday. Ravichandran Ashwin, India’s second highest wicket-taker in Tests with 537 scalps announced his international retirement after India drew with Australia in the third Test in Brisbane.
Ravichandran Ashwin played his last Test match against Australia in Adelaide, but he had not announced his retirement then. So, the legend did not get any guard of honor in that Test, but he previously received guard of honor from the Indian team during his 100th Test match in March 2024 against England.
Ravichandran Ashwin A legendary off spinner of Indian cricket
India’s premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Wednesday surprised the cricketing world by announcing his retirement with immediate effect in the middle of the Test series against Australia. Ravichandran Ashwin retires from the game as the second highest wicket-taker for India in Tests with 537 scalps in 106 games, leaving him only behind Anil Kumble (619 wickets). He will continue to play club cricket. In his final press-conference, alongside an emotional India captain Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin broke his retirement news.
It was quite an emotional moment for Ashwin and his family at that time, and while giving guard of honor during his 100th test match, Rohit Sharma hugged Ashwin which created quite a news at that time.
Ravichandran Ashwin took nine wickets in that Test match, with four in the first innings and five in the second and was going great guns before the New Zealand series. He could not live upto his billing in the New Zealand series, and that probably triggered his retirement call.
To possess 537 wickets, currently seventh in the all-time list, 37 five-wicket hauls, and 3503 runs with six hundreds, mark R Ashwin as a great in Tests. It is a format he embraced well even if his initial foray into the spotlight were through his spells in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In ODIs, Ashwin bagged 156 wickets and made a belated comeback too, such was his zeal to compete.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s mid-way retirement during the Australia series has brought back memories of similar decisions by MS Dhoni and Anil Kumble in the past. However, Ravichandran Ashwin will continue to play in IPL as he has retired only from international cricket and was recently bought by CSK in IPL 2025 Mega Auction.
When discussing the nuances of Indian cricket, few can provide insights like W.V. Raman, a former Indian cricketer and the women’s team coach, particularly when it comes to R. Ashwin. Having witnessed Ashwin’s journey from his First Class debut, which coincided with Raman’s tenure as coach, Raman shed light on the off-spinner’s evolution and the challenges he faced.
Former Indian opener WV Raman backs Ravichandran Ashwin’s decision to retire midway through BGT 2024-25
Former India batter WV Raman has backed Ravichandran Ashwin’s decision to retire after the third Test against Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane on Wednesday, December 18. Pointing out that this is not the first instance of a cricketer retiring during a series, he added that sometimes a player just gets the feeling that he has had enough.
Ashwin (38) stunned the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from international cricket following the conclusion of The Gabba Test on Wednesday. In an illustrious career, the off-spinner played 106 Tests, 116 ODIs and 65 T20Is, claiming 537, 156 and 72 wickets respectively. He was also a handy lower-order batter, notching up six tons and 14 fifties in Test cricket.
While some experts have questioned the timing of Ashwin’s retirement, with two Tests left in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Raman has thrown his weight behind the Tamil Nadu cricketer, telling news agency PTI:
“I think there has been an instance before when a cricketer retired during a series. It’s not the first time this has happened. Secondly, a cricketer retires when he feels that he’s had enough. It’s all a case of things slowing down in one’s mind or suddenly a cricketer gets a feeling that oh, enough! I can’t really go through this routine of getting up or training, going to the ground, doing things over and over again.
“There’s no saying as to when suddenly this snap happens in the mind. But when that happens, that’s when a cricketer decides to call it a day.”
Speaking further in defense of Ashwin, Raman pointed out that because of his combative nature, the veteran cricketer might have found it tough hanging around and not making a contribution to the team. The cricketer-turned-coach said:
“He has been around for a long, long time. Perhaps, he must have felt that if he’s not going to really make any difference or make any contribution, there’s no point in hanging around.”
While the off-spinner was picked in the team for the pink-ball Test against Australia in Adelaide, he was left out of the playing XI in the first and third Tests in Perth and Brisbane respectively. Meanwhile, the rain-hit Gabba Test between India and Australia ended in a draw. The next match of the series will be the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, which will begin on December 26.
At 38, Ashwin was battling against time, and he made the decision to leave on his own terms. But the last has not been seen of him. He will turn out for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, a homecoming of sorts. And as Rohit Sharma said with a cheeky grin, at some point, Ashwin will become part of the media bandwagon, perhaps as a commentator. He leaves now as one of India’s greatest cricketers.