brisbane
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wished retired off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin all the best for the future, saying that his name will remain synonymous with bringing mastery, magic, talent and innovation to the game. Soon after the third Test was drawn in Brisbane on Wednesday, Ashwin announced his immediate retirement from international cricket in the post-match press conference, ending his 14-year long career of playing for India across all formats.
BCCI wrote on its X account, “Thank you Ashwin. A name that is synonymous with mastery, magic, talent and innovation. The excellent spinner and invaluable all-rounder of Team India announced his retirement from international cricket. Congratulations on a wonderful career, ever since the announcement of Ashwin’s retirement, there has been a flood of people wishing this experienced spinner on the social media platform X.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir wrote on ‘X’, “The privilege of watching you grow from a young bowler to a legend of modern cricket is something I wouldn’t change for the world! I know that the coming generations of bowlers will tell that I became a bowler because of Ashwin! Will miss you brother!”
Ashwin finished his career with 537 wickets at an average of 24 in 106 Test matches and became India’s second-highest wicket-taker behind legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble. He also scored six Test centuries and 14 half-centuries with the bat. His last international match was the day-night Test in Adelaide, where he took 1-53.
Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh commented, “Congratulations to Ashwin on a wonderful cricket career. Your ambition as a Test cricketer was admirable. Congratulations on being the flag bearer of Indian spin for more than a decade. Very proud of your accomplishments and look forward to seeing more of you.”
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan wrote, “Retiring as a great match-winner, India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket is nothing short of a memorable moment. Combine this with his invaluable batting contributions, and you have one of the finest all-rounders the game has ever seen. Well done, Ash!” Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik wrote, “A great player retired. Well done for a wonderful career. Proud to have played with you and definitely the greatest player ever to play from Tamil Nadu. Lots of love and some relaxing moments with family and friends.”
Former cricketer WV Raman wrote, “Well done… finished a brilliant long spell with grace and composure. It’s been fun watching your journey and most importantly, congratulations to you for not letting your independent spirit be hindered. Best wishes for your future travels.”
Ashwin also played 116 ODI matches for India, taking 156 wickets, and was a member of the 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy winning teams. Ashwin also played 65 T20 matches and took 72 wickets.
In Tests, Ashwin was one of the central figures in the Indian team’s 12-year-long domestic dominance and played a key role in the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy win in Australia. Ashwin was one of the 11 all-rounders to achieve the double of 3000 runs and 300 wickets in Tests. He also won a record 11 player-of-the-series awards, equal to Muttiah Muralitharan.
