Ravichandran Ashwin received a heartfelt farewell from India coach Gautam Gambhir after the off-spinner announced his retirement from international cricket. Ashwin made the decision public on December 18, 2024, after the third Test between Australia and India ended in a draw in Brisbane.
Ravichandran Ashwin has played a crucial role in India’s spin assault for many years, offering continuity and strength to the team. He concluded his Test career with 537 wickets at an average of 24 in 106 matches, making him India’s second-highest wicket-taker and eighth overall.
Aside from being a wicketkeeper, he was also an effective lower-order batsman. He scored 3503 runs in Tests, including six hundreds. He is one of just 11 all-rounders in history to have scored over 3000 runs and taken more than 300 Test wickets. He also shares the record for 11 Player of the Series accolades with Muthiah Muralitharan.
You will be missed: Gautam Gambhir’s tribute to Ravichandran Ashwin
Gautam Gambhir was still playing for India when Ashwin made his Test debut in 2011 against West Indies in Delhi and played quite a few matches with the offie in the Indian team. He is now the coach of the Indian team and stated that he had seen Ashwin grow from a young bowler to a legend of the game.
Gambhir also believes that the future bowlers will look up to Ashwin for inspiration and said he will be deeply missed.
Gautam Gambhir posted on X: “The privilege of seeing you grow from a young bowler to a legend of modern cricket is something that I wouldn’t trade for the world! I know that generations of bowlers to come will say that I became a bowler because of Ashwin! You will be missed, brother! ❤️ @ashwinravi99”
The privilege of seeing you grow from a young bowler to a legend of modern cricket is something that I wouldn’t trade for the world! I know that generations of bowlers to come will say that I became a bowler coz of Ashwin! U will be missed brother! ❤️ @ashwinravi99 pic.twitter.com/fuATAjE8aw
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) December 18, 2024
Ashwin began his international career in 2010, and he was a member of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning team. He also played 116 One-Day Internationals and 65 Twenty20 Internationals, claiming 156 wickets in the former and 72 wickets in the latter. However, the Tamil Nadu spinner has not played white-ball cricket for India since October 2023, when he appeared in an ODI World Cup 2023 match against Australia in Chennai.
R Ashwin will continue to play in domestic cricket and in the IPL as well, as he was picked by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2025 mega auction.
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