Ravi Ashwin’s retirement from international cricket has shocked everyone, but WV Raman, former India opener, stated that he backed the Tamil Nadu spinner’s decision. Ashwin announced his decision after the third BGT 2024-25 Test in Brisbane ended in a draw on December 18, 2024.
Ravichandran Ashwin startled the cricket world when he announced his retirement from international cricket on December 18. Ashwin played 106 Tests, 116 One-Day Internationals, and 65 Twenty20 Internationals, taking 537, 156, and 72 wickets, respectively.
He has played for India’s 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy winning teams.
Something snapped in him- WV Raman on Ravi Ashwin’s retirement
Some analysts questioned Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement with two Tests remaining in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but WV Raman defended the choice. Raman noted that many cricketers had retired in the middle of a series.
“I think there has been an instance before when a cricketer retired during a series. It’s not the first time this has happened. Secondly, a cricketer retires when he feels that he’s had enough,” Raman told PTI.
WV Raman, a coach who worked with a young 20-year-old Ravichandran Ashwin on his Tamil Nadu debut, stated that a cricketer may not know when they will retire, but one day they simply feel they cannot continue with the routine of training and playing.
“It’s all a case of things slowing down in one’s mind or suddenly a cricketer gets a feeling that oh, enough! I can’t really go through this routine of getting up or training, going to the ground, doing things over and over again. There’s no saying as to when suddenly this snap happens in the mind. But when that happens, that’s when a cricketer decides to call it a day,” Raman said.
Ashwin might have felt there was no point in hanging around: WV Raman
The 59-year-old defended Ravichandran Ashwin’s choice to retire, claiming that his character may have made it tough for him to stay on the team without making a substantial contribution. Raman emphasized that he has been around for a long time in his distinguished profession.
“He has been around for a long, long time. Perhaps, he must have felt that if he’s not going to really make any difference or make any contribution, there’s no point in hanging around. Let’s face it for somebody who has been as combative and as competitive as Ashwin has been, and for a match-winner that he’s been over a long period of time, it’s not a great situation to be thinking in his mind “To be or not to be”, what is better,” Raman added.
Ravi Ashwin made his India debut in 2010 against Sri Lanka in Harare and played his final match in Adelaide against Australia in 2024.
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