[Watch] “There’s a bit of punch left in me” - R Ashwin explains reason for retirement after BGT 2024-25 3rd Test
Team India spin-bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin explained the reason behind announcing his retirement soon after the culmination of the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test at The Gabba on Wednesday, December 18. The 38-year-old elaborated on his decision in the post-match conference after the third Test ended in a draw.
Ashwin last featured in the second Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy and was subsequently replaced by Ravindra Jadeja in the third Test. Sitting alongside Team India skipper Rohit Sharma, Ashwin opened up and said (via 7Cricket on X):
"This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level. I feel there is a bit of punch in me left as a cricketer, but I would like to showcase that at club-level cricket. This will be the last day, and I have had a lot of fun. I must say I have played and made a lot of memories alongside Rohit and several of my other teammates, although I have lost a few of them now over the last few years. We are the last bunch of OGs if we can say that, left in the dressing room."
"I will be marking this as my date of playing at this level. Obviously, there are a lot of people to thank, I would be failing in my duties if I didn't thank the BCCI, and fellow teammates, several of them. I want to name a few of them, all the coaches who have been a part of this journey, most importantly Rohit, Virat, Ajinkya, Pujara who have taken those splendid catches around the bat to give me the number of wickets I have managed to get over the years."
Take a look at the video below:
Ravichandran Ashwin played his last international game at the Adelaide Oval
Featuring in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Ravichandran Ashwin scored 22 and 7 in the two innings he batted. With the ball, he picked up Mitchell Marsh's wicket, which also happened to be his last international wicket.
Overall, Ashwin played 287 international matches for India and picked up 765 wickets. He became the fastest player to get to 350 Test wickets, doing so in 66 Test matches, while also having won the Player of the Series honor 11 times, the most for a player in Test cricket. He was also a part of the squad that won the 2011 ICC Men's ODI World Cup and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.