On December 18 2024, Ravichandran Ashwin, India’s premier off-spinner announced his retirement from International cricket ending a remarkable 14 year career at the top level across formats. He is India’s 2nd-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket with 537 wickets in 106 matches.
- The announcement was made in the post match press conference following the third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
- After representing India in 106 Tests, 116 ODIs and 65 T20Is and picking up 765 wickets across formats.
About Ravichandran Ashwin:
i.Early Life and Domestic Career: Ravichandran Ashwin, born on September 17 1986, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN) began his career in 2006, debuting for TN in the ‘Ranji Trophy’ where he claimed 6 wickets in his 1st match.
- He later captained TN to win the ‘Vijay Hazare Trophy’ title in the 2008–09 season.
ii.Franchise Cricket: His IPL journey started with CSK, where he made significant contributions.
- In 2010, he helped CSK win the IPL title, earning ‘Player of the Series in the Champions League T20’ (Twenty20).
- Known for his “carrom ball” delivery, he became a key player for CSK, later playing for teams like Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals.
iii.International Career: He debuted for India in 2010 in One Day International (ODI) and soon cemented his place in the national team. He was part of the victorious 2011 World Cup squad and the 2013 International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy team.
- In Test cricket, he debuted in 2011 against West Indies, taking 9 wickets and scoring a century (100).
- He holds the record as the fastest Indian to reach 50 Test wickets and was ranked among the top 10 Test wicket-takers of all time.
Career Achievements and Records:
i.537 Test Wickets: Ravichandran Ashwin retires as the 2nd highest wicket-taker for India in Test cricket, with 537 wickets.
- He was only behind Anil Kumble (Indian former cricketer and coach), who has 619 wickets from 132 matches.
- His 537 wickets came in 106 Test matches, an incredible achievement that cements his legacy in Indian cricket.
ii.Ashwin Played for India in 116 ODIs, Ashwin took 156 wickets, while his T20I career saw him claim 72 wickets in 65 matches. Ashwin as a batter scored 3503 runs in test with (6 Hundreds and 14 Fifties), In ODI and T20 707 & 184 runs respectively.
iii.Record in World Test Championship: He was the 1st bowler to take 100 wickets in the World Test Championship, achieving this milestone in March 2022.
- He remains as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament’s history, with 195 wickets across 3 editions.
iv.Fastest to 500 Test Wickets: He became the 2nd-fastest bowler to reach 500 Test wickets, achieving the milestone in 98 games in February 2024.
- He also holds the record for being the quickest to reach 250, 300, and 350 Test wickets.
iv.Test Five-Fors: With 37 five-wicket hauls in Tests, he was 2nd only to Muttiah Muralitharan (67) in the all-time list for the most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket.
v.300 Bowled-LBW Dismissals: He was the one, among the 3 bowlers in history to register 300 bowled-lbw (Leg Before Wicket) dismissals, behind Muralitharan (Sri Lankan Bowler) and James Anderson (English Bowler).
vi.Player of the Series Awards: He has won 11 ‘Player of the Series’ awards in Test cricket, the most by any Indian player.
- His 12 Series awards overall are 2nd only to Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar in the Indian cricketing hierarchy.
vii.Hundreds and Five-Wicket Hauls in Tests: He was the one among the few players to have scored a century and taken a five-wicket haul in a Test match on 4 occasions, bettered only by England’s Ian Botham (5).
IPL Achievements:
In domestic cricket and the IPL, he has been a stalwart for CSK, winning multiple IPL titles (2010 & 2011) and Champions League trophy (2014).
- Ashwin will continue to play in domestic and franchise leagues, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he was bought by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for Rs 9.75 crore in the 2025 auction.
Awards and Honours:
- ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year (2016): Received the award, a testament to his consistency and brilliance on the field. Also ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year (2016)
- Arjuna Award (2015): One of India’s highest sports honours, for his exceptional contribution to cricket.
- Polly Umrigar Award (2012-13): Received the award for excellence in Indian cricket, was another recognition of his impact on the sport.
- ICC Test Team of the Year (Multiple Years): He was included in the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year on several occasions (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2021).
- CEAT International Cricketer of the Year (2016-17): Received the first International Cricket Rating System award in recognition of his outstanding performances across formats.
- ICC Men’s Test Team of the Decade (2011-2020): His contributions over the past decade earned him a spot in the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Decade.
Note:
“I Have the Streets: A Kutti Cricket Story” authored by journalist Sidharth Monga and published in 2024, delivers about his early life and cricket journey until the end of the 2011 ODI World Cup.
