On Wednesday, rain helped India draw the third Test match against Australia in Brisbane. But the biggest surprise came when star player Ravichandran Ashwin, aged 38, announced his retirement from international cricket right after the match.
Ashwin revealed this shocking news during a press conference alongside captain Rohit Sharma, despite two more matches left in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He had been left out of the first Test, which India won, and played in the second Test, which India lost. He was again dropped for the Brisbane Test that ended in a draw.
As the news spread on social media, fans, players, and experts shared their love and respect for Ashwin. Former Indian cricketer Abhinav Mukund also wrote a heartfelt tribute about Ashwin on ESPNCricinfo, recalling their childhood cricket days in Chennai.
Mukund shared a funny story about how both players played in an under-12 tournament. He remembered scoring his first-ever century while Ashwin was injured and acting as the scorer. “I celebrated after reaching 90 runs and then heard applause later. I realized the scorer had made a mistake with the numbers!” Mukund said.
He reflected, “At the time, I thought Ashwin was done with cricket due to his injury and would focus on studies. Little did I know he’d become a cricket legend!”
Ashwin’s retirement marks the end of an amazing career. Many consider him one of the greatest cricketers ever. He played a key role in India’s victories in the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. After starting cricket at just nine years old, Ashwin was coached by Chandrasekar Rao in his early days. He has already left Australia and returned to Chennai, planning to play in the IPL 2025 for CSK next
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