BRISBANE: India’s prolific batter Virat Kohli paid an emotional tribute to bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, who called time on his illustrious international career on Wednesday.
38-year-old Ashwin, who was not a part of India’s playing XI for the recently-concluded third Test against Australia, accompanied Test skipper Rohit Sharma for the post-match press conference and announced that he would step away from the game with immediate effect.
"This will be my last year as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level," said Ashwin.
"I feel there's still a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I'd like to express that and showcase it at the club level," he added.
But, much before the announcement, the visuals of his animated conversation with Kohli inside the dressing room went viral on social media and fans were quick to speculate that the former was considering to retire.
Kohli, whose heartfelt embrace of Ashwin following their conversation, sparked widespread discussion online, eventually broke silence on the subject as he paid tribute to the bowling all-rounder.
“I’ve played with you for 14 years and when you told me today you’re retiring, it made me a bit emotional and the flashbacks of all those years playing together came to me,” wrote Kohli on X, formerly Twitter.
“I’ve enjoyed every bit of the journey with you ash, your skill and match winning contributions to Indian cricket are second to none and you will always and always be remembered as a legend of Indian cricket.
“Wish you nothing but the best in your life with your family and everything else that it unfolds for you. With massive respect and lots of love to you and your close ones. Thanks for everything buddy.”
Ashwin’s career has been nothing short of spectacular. With 537 wickets in 106 Tests at an average of 24, he is India's second-highest wicket-taker in the format, behind only the legendary Anil Kumble.
He also leaves behind a legacy of 3,503 Test runs, including six centuries and 14 fifties.
The 38-year-old now joins an exclusive group of all-rounders with over 3,000 runs and 300 wickets, holding the record for the most Player-of-the-Series awards (11), shared with Muttiah Muralitharan.
In 106 Tests, Ashwin has taken 37 five-wicket hauls, the most by any Indian bowler in the format, second only to former Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan, who took 67 five-wicket hauls in his career.
Ashwin made his ODI debut for India against Sri Lanka in Harare on June 5, 2010, and has since claimed 156 wickets in 116 matches.
He was part of the Indian team that won the 2011 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, led by MS Dhoni.
- Virat Kohli
- Ravichandran Ashwin
