'I had more cricket left in me...': R Ashwin breaks silence on sudden retirement, not getting farewell Test

Renowned former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has once again announced that he is opposed to the concept of farewell matches, claiming unequivocally that he has no desire to extend his career solely for a ceremonial send-off. However, Ashwin has openly admitted that he felt capable of representing India for a longer length of time than he actually did. His unexpected retirement announcement during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy surprised both fans and pundits, as he officially announced his retirement after the third Test in Brisbane and chose not to join the team for the remainder of the series.

While numerous former cricketers, like the legendary Kapil Dev, have expressed their belief that Ashwin deserved a final Test, the off-spinner has constantly maintained that he has no regrets about his retirement decision.

"I want to play more cricket. Where is the place? Obviously not in the Indian dressing room, but somewhere else. I want to be honest with the game. Imagine if I wanted to play a farewell Test but didn’t deserve a place. Imagine I was only selected because it was my farewell Test. I don’t want that. I felt there was still strength in my cricket and that I could have played a bit more. But it’s always better to leave when people ask ‘why’ rather than ‘why not’," Ashwin shared on his YouTube show.

Ashwin played 106 Tests for India, the last of which was a pink-ball Test against Australia in Adelaide. He concluded his Test career as India's second-highest wicket-taker, with 537 wickets. However, he was not selected for the first Test of the series in Perth, as India chose Washington Sundar. Ashwin played in the second Test in Adelaide but was dropped for the third Test in Brisbane, where Ravindra Jadeja was chosen instead.

"I’ve played cricket for many years and learned one thing: not everything goes the way you want it to. We often think, ‘this could have been better’ or ‘that should have happened.’ But I have no regrets about my career. I’ve taken lessons from both my failures and successes. I’ve always played for the joy the game brings me, and I will continue to do so as long as that joy remains," Ashwin said.

“What difference does it make if I come out with the ball and people applaud? How long will that applause last? In the pre-social media era, people would talk about it and forget within a week. There’s no need for a farewell. The game has given us so much joy, and we have played with happiness," he added.

Ashwin has signed with the Chennai Super Kings for Rs 9.75 crore and will compete in the Indian Premier League. This marks the Tamil Nadu off-spinner's return to CSK after a hiatus since 2015.

In a recent media interview upon his return from Australia, Ashwin reiterated his desire to stay with CSK for as long as feasible.

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