Ravichandran Ashwin is definitely one of the top bowlers India has ever seen. With over 750 international wickets under his belt, the off-spinner wrapped up an incredible career after the Gabba Test against Australia. Keeping it straightforward, Ashwin mentioned that his journey as an international cricketer for India "has come to an end," but he still feels he has some "punch" left in him.

After flying back from Brisbane, he landed in India on Thursday morning and gave fans a glimpse of his last day as an international player.

He shared that he had a FaceTime chat with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. But that’s not all; he also received a WhatsApp call from Kapil Dev, the captain who led India to its 1983 World Cup victory.

Ashwin posted the call log on social media, along with a heartfelt message. "If someone had told me 25 years ago that I’d have a smartphone and my call log on the last day of my career would look like this, I would’ve had a heart attack right then. Thanks, @sachin_rt and @therealkapildev paaji," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Kapil Dev recently shared his thoughts on Ashwin's retirement, expressing that the spinner didn't get the send-off he truly deserved. He mentioned, “The next generation needs to outshine us. If they don’t, progress stalls. We never thought anyone would come close to legends like Sachin Tendulkar or Sunil Gavaskar... Now Ashwin is gone. I wish I could have been there; I would have ensured he left with the respect and joy he earned.”

After announcing his retirement, Ashwin had a chat with his father. It's worth noting that he arrived in Chennai on Thursday morning to a warm welcome at home.

Shortly after, Ashwin's father spoke to the media, suggesting that Ashwin might have retired feeling ‘humiliated’. In response, Ashwin took to X to clarify that his dad's comments shouldn't be taken too seriously since he isn't “media-trained.” He also requested that journalists give his father some space.

Ashwin is getting a ton of praise.

Since Ashwin hung up his international boots, he's been showered with praise from both past and present cricketers. Big names like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir shared some touching messages for the 38-year-old.

Ashwin wrapped up his international career as one of India's greatest match-winners, sitting just behind Anil Kumble in the all-time wicket-taking list for Indian bowlers.

Known for his ability to innovate, Ashwin currently holds the record for the most Test wickets by an off-spinner, although Nathan Lyon from Australia is on track to surpass that soon.

He also boasts the highest number of Player of the Series awards in men's Test cricket, with a total of 11.

With 537 Test wickets and 6 centuries to his name, Ashwin has often stepped up when the team needed him most, like during the recent Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, where he scored a crucial hundred.

Additionally, he was part of the victorious squads in the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. In 2016, he earned the titles of ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year.

Read Also: Australia has made major changes to their Test squad, bringing in Sam Konstas and adding new pacers while dropping Nathan McSweeney.

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!