Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin surprised everyone by announcing his retirement from international cricket just a day after a tough Test match in Australia. The 38-year-old spinner explained that this decision felt right to him and came from his gut feeling. He arrived back home in Chennai and shared his thoughts.
He admitted that thinking about retiring had crossed his mind for some time, but he decided to make the announcement right after the rain-affected match at Gabba that ended in a draw. Ashwin said he first felt ready to retire on the fourth day of the match when teammates showed great fight to avoid losing badly, and he waited until the match finished on the fifth day to share the news.
When asked if it was hard to announce his retirement, he said it was not difficult for him. “It’s emotional for many people, but for me, it felt like a relief and satisfaction. I had thought about it for a while, but it came from instinct. I felt it on day 4 and made the decision on day 5,” he explained.
Before making the announcement, there were no hints in the news. However, there was a touching moment when Virat Kohli hugged Ashwin in the dressing room right before the match ended. Ashwin then joined captain Rohit Sharma to talk to the reporters, briefly confirmed his retirement, and left without answering questions.
But there’s good news too! Ashwin will continue playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) starting in 2025. He made it clear that he is not done with cricket and will keep playing as long as he can. “I’m going to play for CSK, and don’t be surprised if I keep trying to play for a long time. I think my time as an Indian international cricketer is over, but Ashwin the cricketer is still here,” he finished.
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