An early morning return on Thursday to the country in Chennai by an Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin came on the heels of announcing his retirement from international cricket during the Test series against Australia. Ashwin could be seen escorted out of the Chennai International Airport by local officials as fans took photographs before he left with his family without talking to the waiting media. He had announced retirement with immediate effect on Wednesday in the middle of the five-match Test series that is locked 1-1 after three games, and yet, club cricket, including the IPL, is to continue with him returning to play for Chennai Super Kings next year.
He signed off as the second-highest wicket-taker for India in Tests with 537 scalps in 106 games, placing him only behind the great Anil Kumble (619 wickets) in the overall tally.
“I do feel there is a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer but I would like to showcase that in club level cricket,” Ashwin said in a brief statement during a joint press conference with skipper Rohit Sharma in Brisbane at the end of the drawn third Test there.
Shortly after leaving for Chennai, Ashwin also tried to reassure his teammates that he would be around should they need him.
“The cricketer in me, the Indian cricketer, international cricketer might have come to an end, but the cricket nut in me will never come to an end,” he told the dressing room in a farewell address shared by BCCI on social media.
During his 14-year career, this was one of the major highlights: contributing to India’s victory in the World Cup of 2011 and the Champions Trophy of 2013 for the limited-overs format.
Ashwin has played in 116 ODIs, taking 156 wickets for India, and 65 T20 internationals, taking home 72 wickets. He has been in international cricket since 2010 in ODIs and then made his Test debut in the next year.
