Last Updated:
As Ravichandran Ashwin retires as a true legend of the game, let’s have a look at some of his phenomenal records.
R Ashwin retires from international cricket
December 18, 2024, marked the end of an era in Indian cricket with the retirement of modern-day legend, Ravichandran Ashwin. The off-spinner drew curtains on his illustrious career, which kicked off in 2010, vs Sri Lanka in Harare. Soon, he was among the World Champions as Team India, featuring him, won the 2011 ODI World Cup at home. The same year marked the beginning of his remarkable Test career, ending Down Under with 106 caps, 537 wickets and 3503 runs.
It was a decision that took the cricketing world by surprise. The Indian team was on the last day of the Brisbane Test when the news of Ashwin’s retirement took social media by storm. After the third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar ended in a draw, Ashwin, accompanied by skipper Rohit Sharma, arrived at the press conference and made his decision public.
“Today will be the last day for me as an India cricketer in all formats,” Ashwin said.
“I do feel there is a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer but I would like to showcase that in club-level cricket. I have had a lot of fun. I must have created a lot of memories alongside Rohit and several of my other teammates,” he said.
As Ashwin retires as a true legend of the game, let’s have a look at some of his phenomenal records:
537 Test wickets: Ashwin retires as the second Indian to surpass 500 Test wickets, after Anil Kumble. Globally, he ranks seventh on the all-time list.
765 international wickets: Ashwin’s career total is the second-highest by an Indian bowler, trailing only Anil Kumble, who has 953 wickets.
Second fastest to 500 Test wickets: Ashwin reached the 500-wicket milestone in just 98 matches, making him the second fastest in history to achieve this feat.
475 Test wickets at home: Ashwin ranks second among Indian bowlers for the most Test wickets on home soil, with only Anil Kumble ahead of him by a single wicket.
302 bowled-LBW dismissals: Ashwin is one of only three bowlers in international cricket to achieve over 300 dismissals through bowled or LBW. He follows Muralitharan (336) and James Anderson (320).
37 Test five-wicket hauls: Ashwin has the most five-wicket hauls in an innings by an Indian bowler, with 37. On the global list, he stands second, behind Muttiah Muralitharan’s unmatched 67. His tally is also tied with Shane Warne.
109 wickets via bowled: Ashwin has dismissed 109 batters by bowling them out, the fourth-highest in Test cricket history.
11 Player of the Series awards: Ashwin holds the record for the most Player of the Series titles in men’s Test cricket, with 11. Across all formats, his total of 12 ranks seventh overall.
Five-wicket haul and century in the same Test: Ashwin is one of four Indians (alongside Vinoo Mankad, Polly Umrigar, and Ravindra Jadeja) to achieve the rare feat of a five-wicket haul and a century in the same Test. He’s done these four times, the most by any Indian and second only to Ian Botham’s five.
- Location :
Brisbane, Australia
