India’s premier spinner Ravichandram Ashwin announced his retirement from International cricket at the end of the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Brisbane on Wednesday. He will be leaving for India on Thursday. “This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level,” Ashwin said after the Brisbane Test at a press conference. “I do feel there’s a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to express that and probably showcase that in club-level cricket, but this will be the last day [for India].”I’ve had a lot of fun. I must say I have created a lot of memories alongside Rohit Sharma and several of my other team-mates, even though I have lost some of them over the last few years. We’re the last bunch of OGs, if we can say that, left out in the dressing room, and I will be marking this as my date of having played at this level”.
The news was announced just moments after the completion of the drawn third Test between Australia and India in Brisbane, with Ashwin joining skipper Rohit Sharma at the post-match press conference to reveal the shock announcement.
Ashwin most recently featured during the second Test against Australia in Adelaide and finishes his career with a total of 765 international wickets from 287 matches.
Ashwin’s Performance
Ashwin ends his Test career as India’s second-highest wicket-taker in the format, with 537 wickets at an average of 24 in 106 Tests, only behind Anil Kumble, who finished with 619 wickets from 132 Tests.
In an international career that started in 2010, and included the 50-over World Cup win in 2011, Ashwin also played 116 ODIs and 65 T20Is, picking up 156 (average of 33.20) and 72 (economy rate of 6.90) wickets in the two formats respectively. He hasn’t had a go in white-ball cricket for India since October 2023, though, when he turned out in an ODI World Cup match against Australia Chennai.
Ashwin has played for five IPL teams since his debut season in 2009, and his most recent franchise is Rajasthan Royals (RR), whom he has been playing for since 2022. With 171 wickets before the start of IPL 2024, Ashwin is among the top-five wicket-takers in IPL history. Ashwin’s 20 wickets in 2011 is his highest tally in an IPL season to date.