Ravichandran Ashwin is a class act both on and off the field.
The former India all-rounder doesn't shy away from candid conversations. Now, on his YouTube channel Ashwin spoke about his retirement and not getting a farewell match to end his career.
Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket following the draw in the third Test against Australia at Brisbane. Notably, Ashwin had not played in that match. He featured in the pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval, scoring 29 runs across both innings and taking one wicket.
While esteemed names like Kapil Dev and Mohammed Kaif called for giving Ashwin a deserved farewell match for his services to Indian cricket, the man himself reckons otherwise.
'What difference will this make if I came out with the ball and people are clapping? How long will people talk about it? When social media was not there, people talked about it and forgot after one week. There is no need for a farewell. The game has given us a lot and we have played with a lot of happiness,' said Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
'I want to play more cricket. Where is the place? Obviously not in the Indian dressing room but from somewhere else. I want to be honest with the game.
'Imagine if I want to play farewell Test but I do not deserve a place. Imagine, I am only in the team because it is my farewell Test. I do not want that. I felt there was more strength in my cricket. I could have played more but it is always better to finish when people ask 'why now' than 'why not,' Ashwin concluded.
In 106 Tests for India, the legendary all-rounder took 537 wickets at an average of 24.00, with best figures of 7/59. He claimed 37 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-wicket match hauls in his Test career. He is the eighth-highest wicket-taker in Tests overall and the second-highest for India, behind Anil Kumble (619 wickets).
Ashwin also holds the record for the second-most five-wicket hauls in Tests, trailing only Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (67).
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