The tributes honoring Ravichandran Ashwin's illustrious international career have been pouring in rapidly following the announcement of his retirement, marking the end of one of India's most exceptional spinning careers. This outpouring of appreciation has notably come from the players with whom he shared both the field and the dressing room during his 14 years in the national team.

Washington Sundar, who can be seen as Ashwin's protégé, was among those expressing gratitude. He shared a heartfelt message on social media for his fellow Tamil Nadu and India teammate and mentor. In his post, Sundar congratulated Ashwin, who responded warmly, highlighting the strong connection between the mentor and his disciple.

In his reply to Sundar's note on the social media platform X, Ashwin wrote, “Thupakkiya pudinga washiii! The 2 minutes you spoke that night in the get together was the best.”

The phrase ‘Thupakkiya pudinga’ is a well-known line from the 2024 Tamil film The Greatest of All Time, where the protagonist, portrayed by actor Vijay, delivers this line to Sivakarthikeyan’s character, which translates to ‘Hold the gun.’

In a straightforward message and a vote of confidence in a player India will be seeing as the player likely to step into Ashwin’s shoes, the spin-bowling all-rounder makes it clear that Washington has his full support and backing in taking up that demanding role, and to become the next ‘gun’ spinner for the Indian national team following Ashwin’s step back during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Big boots to fill for Sundar

The connection between the two spinners is evident through various messages, including one from Sundar himself, who expressed: “More than just a teammate — Ash anna, you have been an inspiration, a mentor, and a true champion of the game.”

Ashwin concluded his career with an impressive tally of 765 wickets for India across all formats, complemented by several notable batting performances, particularly in Test cricket, where he achieved six international centuries. In his relatively short career, Sundar has demonstrated a comparable resilience with the bat and possesses the potential to be a long-term successor to Ashwin at the young age of 25. He could not have a more suitable bowler to provide guidance and support as he develops his skills in this area.

India is set to resume play in the Boxing Day Test match in Melbourne on December 26 against Australia, with Sundar likely to be one of the all-rounders as the team aims for a significant outcome.

Read Also: Pujara Highlights Ashwin's Overlooked Away Test Performances in Tribute to Smith at Melbourne 2020.

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