“There is no reason to speculate much,” says R Ashwin on his retirement

It was rather unexpected at the time that R Ashwin retired following the third Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. After bowling well in the Adelaide Test on a track that was unsuitable for spinners, the off-spinner was dropped from the Gabba Test, where he ended his career.

He has dismissed the controversy over his decision to leave international cricket without playing a last match, saying it wasn’t something he wanted or felt was required. The Tamil Nadu cricket player said he moved aside because he felt his time was up in a Tuesday video posted to his YouTube page.

“I needed this break. I left the series midway. I did not talk much about cricket, though I did post a few things on X after the Sydney and Melbourne Tests. I did not talk about retirement because I was in the dressing room and it was very important for me to respect the sanctum of the dressing room. The fan war is very toxic nowadays, ” Ashwin said on Ash Ki Baat.

“You should know that sometimes it is done instinctively. People are saying many things but there is nothing like that. At that time, I thought I lost my creativity. Endings can be happy also. There is no reason to speculate much.”

“I personally believe that there is nothing important in having a farewell match. I just want to be honest. Just think, if I get a farewell Test but I am not deserving of a place in the side, I will not be happy. Mere cricket mein dum tha, but I think it always better to stop when people ask why and not why not.”

Ashwin’s revelation, made during the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Brisbane, startled the cricket world. The draw at the Gabba marked the end of his great international career, while many fans and commentators expected a more formal ending. Former India all-rounder and head coach Ravi Shastri stated that Ravichandran Ashwin would not have retired in the middle of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy if he had known that India would be fielding two spin-bowling all-rounders in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG in Melbourne.

The off-spinner departed with 537 wickets in 106 Tests, becoming India’s second-highest wicket-taker in all formats, trailing only the great Anil Kumble on the list. Ashwin also played 116 ODIs and 65 T20Is for India, claiming 228 wickets in both formats. After announcing his retirement, the experienced off-spinner uploaded a screenshot showing that he had received calls from Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev.