Team India off-spinner R Ashwin, who announced his retirement from international cricket midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, has commented on every question around him not getting a farewell game. While saying that it’s not a big deal, he shared that he quit simply because he felt his time was up.
On his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’ on Tuesday, January 14, R Ashwin said (as quoted by Times Now): “I think a lot. What to do in life. You all need to understand, that this happens instinctively. If someone gets to know, that their job is done, once that thinking comes, there is nothing to think. People said a lot of things. I don’t think it is a big deal. You think what happened. I did not play the first Test. I played the second did not play the third. It was possible I could play the next or not play the next. This is a side of my creativity and I was looking to explore it. At that time, I felt my creativity was over so it was over. It was simple.”
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“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,” he again shared.
“I want to play more cricket. Where is the place? Obviously not in the Indian dressing room but from somewhere else. I want to be honest with the game. Imagine if I want to play farewell Test but I do not deserve a place. Imagine, I am only in the team because it is my farewell Test. I don’t want that. 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’ and not ‘why not’,” R Ashwin concluded.
However, R Ashwin ended his career as India’s second-highest wicket-taker in international cricket. He also claimed 765 wickets for India across the three formats. Only Anil Kumble (953) is ahead of him as well.
