January 15, 2025: Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin recently opened up about his thoughts on retirement and playing a farewell match. In a candid conversation on his YouTube channel, Ashwin explained that he did not want to play a farewell game if he felt that he no longer deserved a place in the team based on his performance.
Reflecting on his international career, Ashwin questioned the significance of a farewell match where he would be celebrated with claps and applause but felt he no longer had the merit to play. "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," Ashwin said.
Ashwin emphasized that he wanted to finish his career with dignity and on his own terms. He shared that he didn’t want to be in the team simply because it was his farewell match. He expressed that if he had no place in the team based on his recent performances, then he wouldn’t want to take a spot just for the sake of it. "I felt there was more strength in my cricket. I could have played more but it is always better to finish when people ask 'why not' than why," Ashwin added.
Ashwin's decision comes after his last international appearance during the third Test against Australia at Brisbane in 2024, following which he chose to retire. He reflected on his long and successful career, where he became one of India’s finest all-rounders.
In his Test career, Ashwin took 537 wickets in 106 matches at an average of 24.00, with a best of 7/59. He is India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests, behind Anil Kumble, and one of the few to have claimed 37 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-wicket match hauls. With the bat, Ashwin scored 3,503 runs, including six centuries.
Ashwin also had a significant ODI career, with 156 wickets in 116 matches and 707 runs, and he was part of India's victorious campaigns in the 2011 ICC World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
His career, marked by achievements and records, left a lasting legacy. Ashwin concluded by stating that while he cherished his cricketing journey, he felt it was better to retire when people wondered "why not" rather than "why."
