R Ashwin Breaks Silence on Forced Retirement: Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has finally broken his silence on speculation about his forced retirement from international cricket. The 39-year-old, who shocked the cricketing world by announcing his retirement during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Brisbane, has now clarified that his decision was purely personal.
Retirement Decision: ‘Personal’ and ‘Individual’
Contrary to widespread rumors, Ashwin insisted that he was not forced by the team management or selectors to end his international career midway through the Australia Test tour.
Ashwin spoke candidly on his YouTube channel, saying, “No one told me I should leave, no one told me there wasn’t a place for me in the team. In fact, 2-3 people dissuaded me before I made my decision, but I made my decision. In fact, they wanted me to play more.”
He also revealed that senior players like captain Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir (Gauti Bhai) had also asked him to reconsider. He said, “Rohit Sharma also asked me to think about it, Gautam Bhai also asked me to reconsider. But I didn’t talk much about it with Ajit Agarkar (Chairman of the Selection Committee).”
Ashwin emphasized how personal the decision to retire is for a player. He further said, “When it comes to retirement, the decision is very personal. These are all very personal decisions.”
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Experience is Priceless: Ashwin on Kohli, Rohit, and the Future of Senior Players
Ashwin turned his discussion to senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Both of them have retired from Test and T20 cricket, but remain part of the ODI team. Ashwin emphasized the importance of clear communication between the team management and selectors with these experienced stars.
Although Shubman Gill has replaced Rohit Sharma as ODI captain, Ashwin described Virat Kohli as “a true ODI legend.” He praised Kohli’s impressive performance in the 2023 World Cup.
Ashwin expressed hope that the necessary discussions regarding the future roles of these veterans have already taken place. He emphasized that the vast experience of these veteran players is invaluable and “cannot be bought from any shop.” It is clear that Ashwin wants that experience to be properly respected and utilized.
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