Ravichandran Ashwin, one of India’s greatest cricket players, announced his retirement from international cricket on Wednesday at the age of 38. Known for his crucial role in India’s Test dominance over the last decade, Ashwin was renowned for his ability to outsmart top batters.
Throughout his career, Ashwin claimed 537 wickets in 106 Test matches, starting with his debut against the West Indies in 2011 in New Delhi. He also made significant contributions with the bat.
Test captain Rohit Sharma described him as an “all-time great.” Earlier this year, Ashwin became just the ninth bowler in history to reach 500 Test wickets, joining Anil Kumble as the second Indian to achieve this feat. In addition to his Test success, Ashwin played 116 One-Day Internationals and 65 Twenty20 internationals.
Ashwin’s final match came in the drawn third Test against Australia in Brisbane, where he was visibly emotional as his teammate Virat Kohli embraced him in the dressing room.
Although he expressed that there was still some cricket left in him, Ashwin indicated his intention to focus on domestic and club-level cricket moving forward. Reflecting on his career, he shared, “I’ve had a lot of fun, a lot of memories.”
Ashwin was not selected for the Brisbane Test, with his final appearance being in Adelaide, where he took 1-53 in India’s 10-wicket loss.
