Last Updated:
R Ashwin’s father reportedly was already planinng on booking tickets to Melbourne and Sydney but Ashwin’s sudden retirement in Brisbane changed their plans.
R Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket after the 3rd Test at the Gabba. (Picture Credit: PTI)
R Ashwin’s family were just as surprised as most of us when the veteran off-spinner decided to call time on his international career, after the third Test against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Despite the family being in the know that his time for retirement is slowly approaching, they did not expect Ashwin to call time on his career so abruptly. A report by the Indian Express claims that Ashwin’s father was already planning on booking tickets to Melbourne and Sydney, for the final two Tests, but a late night call saw those plans coming to an end.
Ashwin’s family knew that retirement had been on his mind for quite some time. In fact, even during the 2023 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on home soil, he was contemplating the decision, due to his issues with regards to his knee.
But with the Australian Tour being the last one in their WTC calendar, Ashwin thought he would give it one last push, before calling curtains on his career. But Ashwin’s chances of making it to the side seemed unlikely despite the side planning on playing two spinners, as Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar seemed to be above the pecking order.
At the age of 38, it comes as no surprise that the veteran did not want to be one that warmed up the bench. Despite having put in a decent performance in the pace-friendly conditions with the pink ball in Adelaide, he still seemed to be out of favour for the remaining Tests, which seemed to have prompted his decision to end his international career.
As Ashwin mentioned during an interview at his residence, the time for Ashwin the international cricketer may have come to an end, but he would still like to showcase his skills in franchise or club-level competitions.
Having been roped into the Chennai Super Kings, coupled with some fine performances in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, maybe Ashwin’s time on the field is not yet over.
With Ashwin’s international career coming to an end, we could see some of the senior stars from the Test team also calling time on their careers, which could see major changes to the teams across formats.
