Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has put an end to swirling speculation about the circumstances of his retirement from international cricket, firmly stating that the decision was entirely his own. Ashwin, who called time on his illustrious international career midway through the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia, said neither captain Rohit Sharma nor head coach played any role in pushing him out.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said he was neither dropped nor asked to step aside. In fact, he revealed that several people, including the captain and the coach, had encouraged him to reconsider his decision.
“No one told me that you should go, no one told me that there is no place for you in the team. Actually, before I took the decision 2-3 people told me not to take it, but I took my decision. In fact, they wanted me to play more,” Ashwin said.
Ashwin also confirmed that he did not have extensive discussions with chief selector Ajit Agarkar, and stressed that retirement is an individual choice that each player must make for themselves.
Notably, the 37-year-old also announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League earlier this year, closing the chapter on a remarkable career that saw him emerge as one of India’s finest spinners across formats.
Ashwin’s retirement started the transition
Ashwin’s exit was the beginning of a significant transition in Indian Test cricket. Within days, star batter Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Tests, followed by Rohit Sharma stepping down from captaincy. This paved the way for Shubman Gill to take over the reins as India’s new Test captain.
Since the leadership shift, India have performed well under Gill, drawing the Test series 2-2 in England and opening their new World Test Championship cycle with a thumping innings win over the West Indies.
With Ashwin gone, India’s spin responsibilities have been taken over by Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar, all of whom have impressed in their recent outings against England and West Indies.