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SPORTS DECEMBER 27, 2024 | The Indian Eye 40

RAVICHANDRAN ASHWIN

Shock, surprise and relief: World of cricket

reacts as an Indian legend hangs his boots

Ashwin will go down as one of Indian cricket’s all-time greats.

He has featured in over 287 matches for India, the numbers paint a befitting

picture of his impact with both bat and ball

OUR BUREAU

Brisbane/Chennai
ndia’s celebrated off-spinner
Ravichandran Ashwin revealed
Ihis decision to retire from inter-
national cricket moments after the
Brisbane Test ended in a draw on
Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday,
Ashwin appeared alongside India’s
captain Rohit Sharma at the post-
match press conference to announce
his decision. Speculation about his
retirement began to build when he
became emotional and was hugged
by Virat Kohli.

Ashwin will go down as one of
Indian cricket’s all-time greats.

He has featured in over 287
matches for India, the numbers
paint a befitting picture of his
impact with both bat and ball.

After announcing his retirement,
Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his
thoughts on the decision and said He is the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history and the second-highest for India, behind Anil Kumble (BCCI)
that it is “a great sense of relief and
satisfaction” for him after taking a franchise for the Indian Premier second-most five-wicket hauls in India’s 2011 World Cup-winning
call to say goodbye to international League (IPL) 2025. “I am going to Tests, after Sri Lankan legend Mut- squad and the 2013 Champions Tro-
cricket. play for CSK and don’t be surprised tiah Muralitharan (67). phy team.
On Thursday, the Chennai-born if I try and aspire to play for as long Ashwin was instrumental in In- Ashwin’s retirement marks the
player received a warm welcome as I can. I don’t think Ashwin the dia’s dominance in Test cricket, es- end of a remarkable era, leaving be-
after he arrived at his residence in cricketer is done; I think Ashwin the pecially during their rise to the top hind a legacy that will inspire future
Chennai, a day after announcing his Indian cricketer has probably called between 2014 and 2019. generations.
retirement from International Crick- it time. That’s it,” Ashwin added. In limited-overs cricket, Ash- Former India skipper Kapil Dev
et. “It’s emotional for a lot of people. Ashwin played 106 Tests, taking win played 181 matches, taking 228 is not happy as the off-spinner Ravi-
It will be emotional, maybe it will a staggering 537 wickets, including 37 wickets. He featured in 116 ODIs, chandran Ashwin didn’t get a proper
sink in. But for me, it’s a great sense five-wicket hauls, and scored 3,503 claiming 156 wickets with best figures farewell before retiring from interna-
of relief and satisfaction. It had been runs. His contributions to Indian of 4/25 and scoring 707 runs. In 65 tional cricket.
running in my head for a while but it cricket extend far beyond these im- T20Is, he took 72 wickets, with best “The next generation has to be
was very instinctive. I felt it on day 4 pressive statistics. figures of 4/8, and scored 184 runs. better than us. If not, the world is
and called it on day 5,” Ashwin said. He is the seventh-highest wick- With 765 international wickets not going ahead. We never imagined
Further, the 38-year-old cricket- et-taker in Test cricket history and across formats, Ashwin is India’s that somebody would come close to
er spoke about rejoining the five-time the second-highest for India, behind second-highest wicket-taker, behind Sachin Tendulkar or Sunil Gavas-
champions Chennai Super Kings Anil Kumble (619). He also has the Kumble (953). He was also part of Continued on next page... >>

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