Category: Sports

Ravichandran Ashwin, a famous Indian cricketer, surprised everyone by retiring from international cricket on Wednesday. Many think his choice may have been influenced by not being picked for the first three Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. In the first Test in Perth, another player, Washington Sundar, was chosen as the main spinner, while Ashwin sat on the bench. Things changed when Rohit Sharma became captain again for the second Test in Brisbane.

After a chat in Perth, Rohit encouraged Ashwin to stay for the pink-ball Test. Sadly, Ashwin was dropped again for the Brisbane Test, and on December 18, he decided it was time to say goodbye to cricket, feeling unnecessary to the team.

Ashwin’s friend, Aravind Raghavan, shared on Instagram that Ashwin had been thinking about retiring for months. Many fans were surprised, especially since Ashwin was a star bowler with over 500 Test wickets and almost always performed well. It stood out that he left before the end of the series, which is currently tied 1-1, with two crucial matches left in Melbourne and Sydney, where the Indian team has a good chance to win.

There are still questions about Ashwin’s retirement and the events leading up to it. Fans are curious to hear his side of the story when he chooses to share it.

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.

Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement is just the beginning of changes for the Indian cricket team. Many senior players might retire soon to make way for new talent. According to a report from Cricbuzz, this transition could start during the team’s tour of England in June-July this year.

The ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia might be the last big series for the “OG generation,” which includes players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin was surprised many by being the first to retire.

Captain Rohit Sharma has said that players can still get back into the team if they perform well, but it seems that players like Pujara and Rahane are no longer in the plans. Did Ashwin get a hint about this too?

There are mixed reports about why Ashwin retired. While Cricbuzz mentioned that the team was informed in advance, other reports suggested that the selection committee was caught off guard.

Though there was no direct warning, whispers in the dressing room suggested Ashwin was aware of changes coming his way. This was shown by Ashwin not being chosen for a recent match in Perth, which was a big surprise given his impressive record. Choosing Washington Sundar over Ashwin made it clear things were changing.

It’s unclear if Ashwin received a direct message about his place in the team, but being skipped for the Perth Test must have been tough for someone who has always represented India with pride. Other senior players might also find themselves in a similar situation as the team prepares for a new phase. After a recent match, India’s chances of winning the World Test Championship have decreased, and it’s possible that a new captain will take over soon.

Ravichandran Ashwin, a star spinner of Team India, announced his retirement from international cricket after the third Test against Australia. His decision surprised many, especially since the series is tied at 1-1 and there are two matches left to play.

In the first three Tests, Ashwin only played one match because the conditions in Australia were not suitable for spin bowlers. In his last game, he took only one wicket, and he did not play in the third Test as Ravindra Jadeja replaced him.

Team India captain Rohit Sharma was present when Ashwin announced his retirement and later shared a heartfelt message on Instagram. He expressed gratitude for their years of playing together and said, “You’ve been a match-winner since day one and left a mark on many young bowlers. I’m sure we’ll see many bowlers try to copy your classic style.”

Rohit also called Ashwin a true legend and wished him and his family all the best for the future.

Ashwin ended his career as India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests with 537 wickets in 106 matches, averaging 24.00. He finished seventh on the all-time list and is second only to Anil Kumble, who has 619 wickets. Ashwin also played in 116 ODIs and was part of India’s winning teams in the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy, along with representing India in 65 T20Is.

With Ashwin’s retirement, he will not participate in the last two Tests in Australia. The remaining spinners in the squad are Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.

Former Australian cricketers Brett Lee and Brad Haddin were surprised by Ravichandran Ashwin’s sudden retirement from international cricket during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Many didn’t expect him to leave the game while the series was still going, especially since it was tied at 1-1 with two matches left to play.

Ashwin didn’t play in the Perth and Brisbane Tests, and when he got a chance in Adelaide, the pitch didn’t help spinners much. He took his last wicket, dismissing Mitchell Marsh, and finished with 537 wickets in 106 Test matches. This makes him the second-highest wicket-taker for India, just behind Anil Kumble.

Brett Lee speculated that Ashwin might have been told by team management that he wouldn’t get to play in the remaining matches. “The last spinner who retired midway through a series in Australia was Graeme Swann. Ashwin might have been informed he wouldn’t play again in this series, leading him to retire on his own terms,” Lee said on Fox Cricket.

Brad Haddin also praised Ashwin but suggested that he might have felt frustrated with how the spinning options changed during the series. “When Ashwin gets a chance to explain, we’ll understand better; it seems he was a bit frustrated. He has always been keen to improve and has earned the right to make his own decision,” Haddin mentioned after the Test match.

Brisbane – Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar is not happy with R Ashwin’s decision to retire right now. He thinks Ashwin should have waited until the Test series against Australia was over. This is important because India is now one player short for the remaining two matches in the series, which is currently tied at 1-1.

R Ashwin shocked everyone when he announced he was retiring immediately after the third Test ended in a draw. Gavaskar, speaking to the broadcasters, said, “He could have waited until the series was over and then said he wouldn’t be available anymore. This leaves the team short just like when MS Dhoni retired during the third Test in 2014–15.”

Gavaskar explained that the selection committee picks players with a plan. If anyone gets injured, they need extra players from the reserves to step in. He believes Ashwin could have helped in the final Test in Sydney, where spinners often perform really well. “You never know, he might have been really useful there,” Gavaskar said. He also mentioned that it’s unusual for a player to retire in the middle of a series.

In the series, India first chose to play Washington Sundar instead of Ashwin. Although Ashwin played the second Test in Adelaide, he did not do well. When asked if Washington is being prepared to take Ashwin’s place, Gavaskar replied, “Maybe Washington Sundar is ahead of him.”

Rohit Sharma mentioned Ashwin would be leaving soon, marking the end of a fantastic career for Ashwin. Gavaskar said, “He has been an incredible cricketer.”

This article comes from an automated news agency feed with no changes to the text.

On Tuesday, Jasprit Bumrah broke a record set by Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev when he took two quick wickets during Australia’s second innings in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With these wickets, Bumrah became the Asian bowler with the most wickets in Australia—52 wickets in just 10 Test matches!

In his impressive performance, Bumrah first bowled out Usman Khawaja in the third over with a clever delivery that hit the inside edge and then knocked down the off stump. Just one over later, he took down Marnus Labuschagne with a well-placed length ball, and Rishabh Pant caught the edge behind the stumps.

Bumrah’s achievements do not stop there. He has been the best bowler in the series, capturing 21 wickets in six innings at an extraordinary average of 10.71, much better than opponents like Mitchell Starc. This makes Bumrah the sixth Indian bowler ever to take 20 or more wickets on a tour of Australia.

His total includes two five-wicket hauls—one in Perth, where he led the team in place of Rohit Sharma, and the second in Brisbane. Remarkably, Bumrah matched his wicket tally from the 2018/19 series, becoming only the second Indian bowler to achieve this milestone in Australia. Anil Kumble was the first, with 24 wickets in 2003/04 and 20 in 2007/08.