The immediate retirement from the international cricket stage has been announced by Indian cricket great Ravichandran Ashwin marking the demise of a glorious career. Ashwin, however, is not intent on hanging his boots completely as he will continue playing at the club level to preserve his energy.
Ashwin ends his career with 765 wickets in his name across all formats, denoting himself as the 11th most famous wicket-taker in cricket history. However, his records particularly shine in Test cricket, with as many as 537 wickets placing him at seventh best in the all-time list.
At 37, the announcement is taking place during the year with high-profile retirements. Only a day preceding, New Zealand’s pacer Tim Southee retired from Test cricket, while England’s James Anderson played his last match at Lord’s against the West Indies earlier this year.
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Ashwin’s memorable career has seen him deliver some of such performances, his best Test showing being in October 2016, when he went on to take 13 wickets in a Test match against New Zealand, with six coming in the first innings and another seven in the second. Speaking of ODIs, his best spell was actually against the UAE in 2015, when he took 4 wickets, including one on the second ball.
In the T20 format, Ashwin delivered two sensational four-wicket performances. In 2014, he shredded Australia by taking their last wicket in the final over of the match. Two years later, in less than five overs, Ashwin ripped through Sri Lankan batting, as he brought down four vital wickets.
Ashwin’s retirement has marked the closing of an essential chapter of an important history in Indian cricket leaving a legacy to be followed and inspired by future generations.