[Watch] R Ashwin hugged by father, welcomed by neighbors upon arriving at his house from BGT 2024-25
Ravichandran Ashwin received a grand welcome from his family and friends upon his arrival at home in Chennai on Thursday (December 19), following his retirement from international cricket. The 38-year-old off-spinner called time on his international career on Wednesday after the third BGT 2024-25 Test against Australia at the Gabba, Brisbane, which ended in a draw. Ashwin was not part of the Indian playing XI for this match.
After also missing the first Test in Perth, Ashwin participated in the pink-ball match in Adelaide, which turned out to be his final international cricket appearance. He picked up a solitary wicket in his 18-over spell and scored 22 & 7 with the bat in his farewell game. In a 14-year storied international career, Ashwin scalped 765 wickets in 287 games across three formats, behind only Anil Kumble's mammoth tally of 956.
His family and neighbors extended a rousing reception to Ashwin on his arrival home on Thursday. The off-spinner also shared a warm hug with his visibly emotional parents.
You can watch the moment in the video below:
"It's paramount that you leave when people ask why are you leaving"- Aakash Chopra on R Ashwin's retirement
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra recently opined that Ashwin bid adieu to international cricket on his terms before questions were raised about his spot in the squad. In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra paid tribute to Ashwin, saying:
"He recently scored a hundred against Bangladesh. India were 144/6. It was probably the best century of his career. So he has actually said goodbye when everyone is saying he could have stayed back. Only the New Zealand series was not good. It's paramount that you leave when people ask why are you leaving. He did not go when people were asking when are you going. Ravichandran Ashwin decided to go on his own terms."
Effusive in praise of the legendary off-spinner, Aakash Chopra continued:
"He has been absolutely outstanding. There are two or three huge aspects that make R Ashwin very special. One is his intelligence. When the ball used to get released from his hand, it seemed like he was setting a trap. This is Test cricket's biggest beauty, that you lay a trap, and the batters used to get trapped despite knowing everything."
Do you agree with Aakash Chopra's views about R Ashwin? Let us know your opinions in the comments section.