New Delhi: Ravichandran Ashwin has been a key player in India's last two series victories in Australia, but his limited participation in this series, playing just one of the three Tests, hinted at a career winding down. So, when he announced his retirement in the middle of the series on Wednesday, it caught everyone off guard.

The 38-year-old missed the match in Brisbane, where India managed to secure a draw despite the rain delays. He stepped into the media conference alongside captain Rohit Sharma and took the mic first to share his news.

With Rohit sitting next to him, Ashwin stated, “I didn’t want this to be all about me. Honestly, it would have been better if Bumrah or Akash Deep were here, but Rohit is stuck with me.”

He continued, “Today marks my final day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level. I still feel like I have some fire left in me as a player, but I’d prefer to channel that into club cricket – this is my last day representing India.”

I had an absolute blast, I gotta say. I made tons of memories with Rohit and the rest of my teammates. We're basically the last of the OGs hanging out in the dressing room. I'm definitely going to remember this day as one where I played at this level.

Ashwin had a bit of a rough time during the home series against New Zealand, which India ended up losing 0-3, marking their first home defeat in 12 years. He’s usually the go-to guy for wins, but in the spin-friendly Tests in Pune and Mumbai, he only managed match figures of 5/161 and 3/110.

Interestingly, coach Gautam Gambhir brought in Washington Sundar from his domestic duties, and he took 11 wickets right off the bat in Pune, hinting that the team is eyeing the future.

Ashwin didn’t really explain what led to his sudden announcement, but Rohit later mentioned that there were talks with the team management after Sundar was chosen over Ashwin in Perth. Ashwin took a moment to reflect on his impressive career.

There are so many people I need to thank, but I’d really be remiss if I didn’t give a shoutout to BCCI and my teammates, a bunch of them. I want to highlight a few, especially all the coaches who’ve been part of this journey. A big thanks to Rohit, Virat, Ajinkya, and Pujara for those amazing catches that helped me rack up the wickets over the years.

As for my stats, I’m proud to say I’m India’s second most successful Test bowler, with 537 wickets in 106 Tests at an average of 24, just behind Anil Kumble’s 619. I also took 156 wickets in ODIs and 72 in T20s.

I also want to thank the Australian cricket team for the fierce battles we’ve had, both at home and away. Right now, I’m not taking any questions because it’s such an emotional moment for me. I don’t think I can answer anything properly.

I might step back as a player, but I’ll definitely stay involved in the game that has given me so much.

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