For others, the announcement came as a surprise.
Veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shocked the world by announcing a sudden retirement in the middle of the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in Australia. While the entire development was a very hush-hush matter, it is now known that only two members of the Indian team were aware of it beforehand.
“Within the team, except for skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir, the decision came as a shock for the rest,” reported The Indian Express.
For others, such as star batter Virat Kohli and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, the announcement came as a surprise. Shortly after Ashwin, alongside captain Rohit at a press conference, revealed that December 18 would mark his final day as an India cricketer, Kohli shared on social media that he had only learned about Ashwin’s decision during the rain delay on Day 5 of the Brisbane Test against Australia.
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BCCI official confirms there was ‘no nudge’ from the selection committee
Following Ashwin’s decision, there were reports claiming that he was given an ultimatum by the Indian board.
However, a BCCI senior source clarified that the selectors also had very little clue.
He said to PTI, “There was no nudge from the selection committee. Ashwin is a legend in Indian cricket and he has the right to take his own call.”
Speaking about Ashwin’s accolades, he holds the record for the most Player of the Series awards in Test cricket, with 11 to his name. He became the second-fastest bowler to claim 500 Test wickets, reaching the milestone in 98 matches in February 2024.
Additionally, Ravichandran Ashwin remains the fastest bowler to achieve the 250, 300, and 350 Test wickets milestones. He concluded his Test career after participating in just one match during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Selected for the Adelaide pink-ball Test, he managed to take one wicket in the game. Over his career, Ashwin represented India in 106 Tests, 116 ODIs, and 65 T20Is, amassing a total of 765 wickets across all formats.
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