Follow UsRavichandran Ashwin retired from international cricket right in the middle of the Border-Gavaskar Test series in Australia late last year. The all-rounder was one of India's biggest match-winners, having picked up over 500 Test wickets and with the bat, he also slammed as many as five centuries.
However, there were plenty of reports circulating that it was head coach Gautam Gambhir and then captain Rohit Sharma who forced him into retirement, but he has denied such claims, saying that they, in fact, asked him to reconsider.
“No one told me to go, no one said there was no place for me in the team. In fact, a few people advised me to continue, but I made the decision myself,” Ashwin clarified, according to Zeenews.india.com.
“Rohit Sharma also told me to think about it, Gauti bhai also told me to think again. But I didn’t talk much about it with Ajit Agarkar."
Following Ashwin's retirement, Rohit and Virat Kohli also walked away from Test cricket. However, they will be available to play One-Day Internationals (ODI) with one eye on the 2027 World Cup.
Ashwin, on the other hand, is now trying his hand at international leagues. His first stop will be in Hong Kong for the Sixes, followed by a maiden stint in the Big Bash League (BBL) with the Sydney Thunder.