NEW DELHI: Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin stunned the cricketing world on Wednesday by announcing his retirement from international cricket in the middle of the ongoing Test series against Australia.
The 38-year-old, who holds the distinction of being India's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests, chose an unconventional moment to bring the curtain down on a stellar career that has spanned over 14 years.
His decision, delivered at a joint press conference with captain Rohit Sharma after the drawn third Test in Adelaide, has left fans and pundits alike reflecting on the legacy of one of cricket's most innovative and impactful players.
Ashwin's statistics speak volumes about his contribution to Indian cricket.
He retires with 537 wickets in 106 Test matches, a tally second only to the legendary Anil Kumble, who claimed 619 scalps.
In limited-overs cricket, Ashwin was an integral part of India's 2011 World Cup-winning squad and the 2013 Champions Trophy triumph, finishing his ODI career with 156 wickets in 113 matches.
In T20Is, he claimed 72 wickets in 65 games.
However, for Ashwin, numbers have never been the sole yardstick for success.
His journey has been defined by his ability to innovate, adapt, and push the boundaries of what an off-spinner can achieve in modern cricket.
At the press conference, Ashwin declined to take questions, explaining that he wanted to avoid being overwhelmed by emotion.
"Today will be the last day for me as an India cricketer in all formats," he said.
"I do feel there's a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to showcase that in club cricket."
He confirmed his plans to return to the IPL next year, where he will once again don the Chennai Super Kings jersey.
This story is from the December 19, 2024 edition of Millennium Post Delhi.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 19, 2024 edition of Millennium Post Delhi.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MADHYA PRADESH TRANSFORMATIVE INTERLINKAGES
Under the inspiring leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Dr. Mohan Yadav, the launch of Ken-Betwa and Modified Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal river-linking projects fulfills former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's grand vision of transforming drought-prone regions with sustainable irrigation and drinking water facilities, alongside heralding economic growth for Bundelkhand, Malwa, and Chambal, among others
'ACTING IS LIKE PLAYING A SPORT'
Shweta Tripathi Sharma counts Ali Fazal, Vicky Kaushal and Vijay Varma among her favourite co-stars
Checkmate!
I was going to press it for as long as I could possibly press, but I thought, 'It's OK. We are going to play for five, six hours. It's going to end in a draw, and let's focus on the tiebreaks.' But then suddenly after Rf2, I saw [the game] was actually done. I was already preparing myself to go through that huge tiebreak fight and suddenly it was all over and I had achieved my dream. I'm not someone who shows a lot of emotions, but I think this one can be forgiven.\"
Fragile frontiers
India's flawed foreign policies and China's strategic influence have shifted regional dynamics in South Asia, resulting in amplification of security challenges, insurgencies, and geopolitical vulnerabilities, particularly in the Northeast and along the borders of certain neighbouring countries
SURVIVAL BEYOND FRACTURED FENCES
Bhaskar Roy's lyrical prose in the novel 'Border Crossers' evocatively explores the questions of identity, resilience, and socio-political strife through the intertwined lives of diplomat Arijit Basu, his fiancée Nandita Kapoor, and an undocumented Bangladeshi migrant navigating the fraught India-Bangladesh borderlands
Man City's free-fall goes on; goals galore for Bayern Munich
Goals from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers at Villa Park consigned the four-time defending champion to a ninth defeat in 12 games in a season that is unravelling.
ISL: Fab four for EB, Mumbai climb to 4th
Nikolaos Karelis' early strike earned Mumbai City FC a 1-0 victory over Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League here on Saturday before East Bengal FC triumphed over Jamshedpur FC 1-0 in Kolkata for their fourth win in last five games.
Out of Order at the Top
Jadeja urges top-order to fire in Boxing Day Test against Australia
After T20 breeze vs Windies, India turn focus to ODIs
MUZUMDAR SAYS HARMANPREET WILL BE FINE FOR THE SERIES
France's court convicts 8 people of involvement
TEACHER'S BEHEADING
