Ravichandran Ashwin made the big announcement about his retirement from international cricket on Wednesday, right after the last day of the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Brisbane. Following a rain-affected draw with Australia, he joined captain Rohit Sharma at a press conference where he shared the news.

Ashwin didn’t play in the first Test in Perth, which India managed to win. He came back for the Adelaide Test but couldn’t help the team avoid a loss, leading to him being left out again for the third Test. It’s a tough way to wrap up the career of one of India’s all-time greats in Test cricket, especially given how the match turned out and his absence from the lineup.

Kapil Dev is upset about how R Ashwin decided to retire from international cricket.

Ashwin's choice really stirred up a buzz among former players, teammates, fans, and experts alike. At a private event, cricket legend Kapil Dev praised Ashwin's influence on the game, expressing that the veteran didn't receive the send-off he truly deserved.

“The next generation needs to outshine us. If they don’t, progress stalls. We never thought anyone could come close to legends like Sachin Tendulkar or Sunil Gavaskar... Ashwin has moved on. I wish I could have been there; I would have made sure he left with the respect and joy he deserves,” he shared.

Ashwin is set to hit the field in IPL 2025 after rejoining the Chennai Super Kings at the recent auction in Jeddah. Throughout his international career, he has taken 537 Test wickets, making him the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test history and the second-highest among Indians, trailing only Anil Kumble's 619 wickets.

At 38 years old, he was a key player in the Indian squad that clinched the ODI World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013. In 2016, he bagged both the ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC Men's Test Cricket of the Year awards. He’s been selected for the ICC Men's Test Team of the Year five times and was also part of the ICC Men's Test Team of the Decade (2011-20). Ashwin has always excelled on the spin-friendly pitches in India, famously taking 29 wickets in a series against Australia, the highest by any Indian bowler in a four-match Test series.

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