Team India captain Rohit Sharma cheekily predicted that Ravichandran Ashwin might join the cricket broadcast team in the next couple of years. Ashwin announced his unexpected retirement from international cricket on Wednesday, December 18, after the third India vs Australia Test at The Gabba in Brisbane.
Ashwin attended the post-match press conference with skipper Rohit to confirm his retirement but declined to take questions from the media, stating he wasn’t mentally ready for it. After the off-spinner exited the press conference, Rohit was asked about the team missing the talismanic cricketer. In his trademark style, the Indian captain replied:
“Ashwin, I am sure, aap logon ke saath hi rahega woh ek do saal mein (He will be with you [broadcast team] in the next one or two years. So, we will keep bumping into Ash.”
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When asked about the veteran off-spinner’s mid-series retirement, Rohit stated it was the Tamil Nadu cricketer’s personal decision, fully supported by his teammates.
“Some decisions are very personal and I don’t think too many questions should be asked. If a player has a choice, he has to be given that choice and somebody like Ashwin, who has been there for us for so many years, is allowed to make these kind of decisions and we as teammates have to respect it. He was very sure about what he wanted to do and the team completely backed his thought process,” the 37-year-old commented.
Ashwin’s statement during his retirement announcement
While announcing his retirement in Brisbane, Ashwin acknowledged he still has some fire left but expressed his desire to showcase his skills at the club level.
“This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level. I do feel there’s a bit of punch left in there, but I would like to expose and probably showcase that in club-level cricket. But this will be the last day and I got a lot of fun,” the 38-year-old said.
He concluded his career with 765 wickets in 287 international matches at an average of 25.80, including 37 five-wicket hauls, all in Tests.
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