The off-spinner gave a very firm response.
Veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shocked the world when he announced his retirement from the game suddenly after the end of the third Test during the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series.
The unexpected decision also didn’t allow Ashwin to get a proper farewell. Usually, cricket stars play their final game in front of the home crowd but Ashwin’s case was different. Not only was he in a different country, Ashwin didn’t even feature in the third Test following which he announced his decision.
Now, almost a month after his retirement call, the 38-year-old has broken the silence and also addressed the idea of a farewell game, firmly stating he wouldn’t want to be included in the team solely for sentimental reasons.
Speaking in a recent video on his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat, Ashwin said,
“What difference will this make if I came out with the ball and people are clapping? How long will people talk about it? When social media was not there, people talked about it and forgot after one week. There is no need for a farewell. The game has given us a lot and we have played with a lot of happiness.”
The off-spinner eventually retired as India’s second-highest international wicket-taker with 765 wickets, behind Anil Kumble’s 953.
In Tests, Ravichandran Ashwin ranks eighth on the all-time wicket-takers list, claiming 537 wickets in 106 matches at an average of 24, including 37 five-wicket hauls and eight 10-wicket match hauls. He also scored six Test centuries.
Muttiah Muralitharan leads the Test wicket tally with 800, followed by Shane Warne (708), James Anderson (704), Kumble (619), Stuart Broad (604), Glenn McGrath (563), and Nathan Lyon (539).
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