August 29th 2025:
One of the most difficult decisions in a sportsman’s life, similar to other professions, is to finally call it a day, “Retire”. In most other professions one goes through various modes of skilling and opportunities, whereas in sports it is a singular journey.
A sportsman starts from a young age acquiring their skills, competing initially with their schoolmates and thereafter an unending one, which is to play and perform at the highest level of the sport. The ultimate highlight being to play for one’s country.
Indian cricket this year has been shaken by 4 of their superstars bidding adieu from the conventional format of the game, “Test Cricket”. The services rendered by Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and recently Cheteshwar Pujara were extraordinary for both the game and the country. Here were 4 individuals who made an indelible mark and needed a fitting farewell. An “Adios Amigo”, a Spanish phrase meaning ‘Goodbye my friend,’ did not fit the bill.
India’s former pace bowler, Karsan Ghavri, in a recent interview quite rightly stated that each one of them should have had a rousing farewell. However, if the talk around them of having been told to retire from Test cricket without losing their dignity, if for whatsoever reason this is true, then it is extremely sad where Indian cricket is concerned.
A cricketer, especially those who have done yeoman service and stood tall through their performances require to be eased out with grace, gentleness and compassion. They need to be spoken to with kindness and care and an amicable solution to be found for them to bid adieu with pomp and splendour.
A sportsman always feels that there is that wee bit of extra fuel in the tank to keep the fire burning. It is very hard for one to absorb the fact, although it does linger in ones’ mind, that the expiry date is round the corner.
The big question that comes to mind for a sports hero is whether one is mentally prepared enough to continue the journey afterwards. Playing cricket was one’s comfort zone and going away from it, whether one accepts it or not, is a scary situation ahead of them. With the ever-growing amount of cricket being played Internationally, one will see the famous 4 for a while and then newer heroes will emerge.
The excitement, uncertainty and the undying support that a cricketer receives and the rushing adrenaline that one experiences is what one misses out on later.
Life with the family is what one feels will be the ideal solution. Gradually, this too ebbs, as one is taken for granted. Frustration sets in and many sports personalities have gone awry once their career was over.
The sports field opens up to new players taking center stage and slowly one becomes just a name or a photograph on the wall.
The time finally comes when one is cajoled into writing a book, a memoir of one’s playing days. The umpteen books that have written by famous cricketers in the past are normally negative and sensationalize the hard days of their journey. Somehow, one remembers them more distinctly than the good days on the ground.
Ashwin, Virat, Rohit and Pujara have children who keep them in fine spirits. However, one would be truly happy if the 4 sons of Indian cricket are, in the next Test series, given a farewell befitting their achievements and what they have done for the royal game of cricket.
“Adios Amigos”, you have made every Indian feel proud.
(Yajurvindra Singh is a former Test cricketer. Views expressed are personal.)