R Ashwin, a senior India spinner, has announced his retirement from international cricket following the third Test against Australia.
R Ashwin, the Indian cricket team’s spinner, announced his retirement from international cricket following the third Test against Australia in Brisbane on Wednesday. After the game finished in a draw, Ashwin and skipper Rohit Sharma announced the news at a post-match press conference. Ashwin played the second match of the five-Test series in Adelaide, but was replaced by Ravindra Jadeja in Brisbane. Ashwin retires from Test cricket as India’s second best wicket-taker, with 537 scalps in 106 games, trailing only Anil Kumble (619 wickets).
In addition to playing in T20 competitions, Ashwin will play for the Chennai Super Kings in the 2025 Indian Premier League.
“I won’t take too much of your time. Today will be the last day for me as an India cricketer,”In a joint press conference with captain Rohit Sharma following the drawn third Test here, Ashwin stated that he would not answer any questions and then departed.
The 38-year-old took one wicket during the day-night Test match in Adelaide.
“He was quite certain of his choice. After Ashwin exited the stage, Rohit remarked, “We should support his wishes.”Hours before the news, he was spotted in the dressing room with star batsman Virat Kohli, enjoying an emotional moment. “A name synonymous with mastery, wizardry, brilliance, and innovation,” the BCCI wrote describing X in its homage post.
As Ashwin retires from the international scene, he is genuinely leaving a great legacy and enormous shoes to fill for the new players who will take his place.Ashwin led the bowling attack and played a significant role in India’s ascent to the top and subsequent dominance in Test cricket between 2014 and 2019.
He was a phenomenon when one considers his dominance in the family environment. His skill set extended beyond the ball; he also made some significant contributions with the bat.
Ashwin made 181 appearances and claimed 228 wickets in the white-ball format. With top figures of 4/25, he captured 156 wickets at an average of 33.20 in 116 ODI games. In 63 innings, he scored 65 runs, including one fifty, and amassed 707 runs at an average of 16.44. He is now India’s 13th-highest wicket-taker in ODIs.He claimed 72 wickets at an average of 23.22 in 65 Twenty20 Internationals. 4/8 are his greatest numbers. In 19 innings, he amassed 184 runs at an average of 26.28, with a peak score of 31. In Twenty20 Internationals, he is India’s sixth-highest wicket-taker.
After Kumble (953), he is India’s second-highest wicket-taker in all forms with 765 scalps in 287 games. Along with India, he won the 2013 Champions Trophy and the 2011 50-Over World Cup.
