Ravichandran Ashwin retires with a ‘bit of punch still left’ in him | Cricket News
Announcing his retirement from international cricket on Friday, India’s 38-year-old ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said he still has “a ‘bit of punch left” in him but will showcase it only at the club-level cricket going forward.
Ashwin, India’s second best wicket-taker in Test cricket, called it a day on the final day of the Brisbane Test against Australia. He featured in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide but was not included in the eleven for the rain-hit game in Gabba, which ended in a draw. Ashwin took 1 for 53 in his last match in an international match.
This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at an international level,” said Ashwin, who accompanied captain Rohit Sharma to the press conference, where he made the announcement that took everyone by surprise. “It’s truly a very emotional moment…it’s a game that’s given me everything.”
“I do feel that there is a bit of a punch left in me as a cricketer but I would like to showcase that at club level cricket,” Ashwin said. “I’ve created a lot of memories alongside Rohit and my other teammates. Most importantly Rohit, Virat (Kohli), Ajinkya (Rahane), (Cheteshwar) Pujara who have taken those splendid catches around the bat to give me the number of wickets I’ve managed to get over the years.
“Obviously there are a lot of people to thank, but I will be failing in my duties if I didn’t thank the BCCI and fellow team-mates,” he added.
Ashwin left soon after making the announcement, leaving Rohit to take the questions from the media present at the Gabba. However, he did speak a word about Australia as an opposition during his decorated career.
“The Australian cricket team have been very fierce competitors, and I’ve enjoyed my time playing against them,” Ashwin said.
After a stellar 14-year stint in international cricket, Ashwin retired as India’s second-highest Test wicket-taker, claiming 537 dismissals in 106 matches. The 38-year-old off-spinner registered 37 five-wicket hauls during his Test career.
His prowess as a Test all-rounder was evident through his six centuries in the longest format and 3503 career runs in the traditional format. His performances earned him the top spot in the ICC Test all-rounder rankings.
In limited-overs formats, Ashwin’s contributions included 156 wickets from 116 ODI appearances, whilst in T20 internationals, he captured 72 wickets across 65 matches.
