The 38-year-old made the choice to retire with two Test matches nonetheless remaining within the sequence, leaving many to surprise concerning the causes behind his surprising departure.
Ravichandran Ashwin has just lately addressed the hypothesis surrounding his sudden retirement from worldwide cricket following the conclusion of the third Test in opposition to Australia on the Gabba. The 38-year-old made the choice to retire with two Test matches nonetheless remaining within the sequence, leaving many to surprise concerning the causes behind his surprising departure.
As India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket historical past, Ashwin had solely performed one match within the sequence earlier than deciding to retire. He was notably omitted of the primary Test at Perth, with Washington Sundar being chosen because the lone spinner as a substitute. Ashwin did make an look within the pink-ball Test in Adelaide however was subsequently dropped in Brisbane in favor of Ravindra Jadeja.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma revealed that Ashwin had been considering retirement since becoming a member of the staff in Perth, and it took some convincing for him to play within the second match.
Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev expressed his disappointment on the departure of Ashwin and argued that the star spinner deserved a extra becoming farewell. Dev, who led India to victory within the 1983 World Cup, made these feedback in response to quite a few cricket followers advocating for Ashwin to have a farewell match. Despite calls for a particular sendoff, the seasoned cricketer, who has performed in 106 Test matches, rejected the thought, stating that he didn’t consider in such practices and criticized it as a manifestation of extreme celebrity culture.
“As far as I’m involved, grand farewells are unsuitable. I do not assume it’s best to give grand farewell ceremonies to anybody. Especially, I firmly consider that you just should not give me a grand farewell. I do not need anybody shedding a drop of tear for me. I feel grand send-offs are a part of a super celebrity culture.
“Why should we run behind someone? I understand we run behind someone for the love we have for them. But I feel that people should get inspired by one’s achievements, the legacy that one leaves behind, the way one left the game, and the way one has spoken about the game. But farewells are wrong, I think. If there is a match that has been organised just to celebrate me, I think it’s a disservice to the game,” Ashwin was quoted saying by India Today in an interplay on Gobinath’s YouTube channel.
Ashwin confidently asserted that he harbored no regrets and adamantly refused to assign blame to anybody for his choice. The 2011 World Cup champion disclosed that he didn’t shed a tear after making the troublesome choice to retire from taking part in for Team India.
“I don’t have any regrets about it. Zero regrets. If I am not happy with 537 wickets, then for what will I be happy? Why should I be sad about something that’s not there? There is great joy in acceptance. You chase something that you don’t have. But don’t regret something that you don’t have. Don’t crib about it.”
“I quit this part of my life. It was a full stop to that part of my life. I can talk cricket, I do YouTube, I love coaching. I can keep myself happy around cricket. I will stay connected with cricket. I don’t have any regrets; I am not angry at anyone. I didn’t cry even one bit. No one else is responsible for my retirement. If there’s someone, I am not aware of it,” mentioned Ashwin.
Ashwin is poised for a outstanding return to the Chennai Super Kings within the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League, the place he’ll showcase his cricketing prowess on the highest degree.
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