Ravichandran Ashwin Retirement: Three big reasons why legendary all-rounder decided to end his International career midway through Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Legendary Ravichandran Ashwin shocked everyone with his decision to retire from international cricket in the middle of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, on December 18. Ashwin was one of the greatest Test cricketers of his period, having played 106 Test matches, taken 537 wickets, and amassed 3503 runs, including 6 hundreds and 14 fifties. This may be the reason why many fans and commentators were taken aback by his unexpected call on Wednesday morning.

When Ashwin was spotted hugging Virat Kohli in the dressing room on Day 5 of the Gabba Test, the rumors began to spread. He then accompanied Rohit Sharma to the post-match press conference, when he promptly declared his retirement and left. Although many thought it was shocking, it appears Ashwin gave it careful thought, and the spinner will now travel home on Thursday.

Why did Ashwin announce retirement?

Jadeja seals spot for MCG Test after Gabba heroics

The first explanation might be that Ravindra Jadeja essentially guaranteed his place in the Indian starting lineup for the rest of the series. Despite his inefficiency with the ball, Jadeja put on a strong batting display and amassed 77 crucial runs, which helped India escape the follow-on and ultimately secure a draw. Now that Melbourne and Sydney are approaching, it appears like Jadeja will be selected first, even if the spinners may receive some help.

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Sundar over Ashwin

When talking about Ashwin's retirement, Sunil Gavaskar said that Sundar might have been higher in the selection discussion than the seasoned spinner. The Tamil Nadu all-rounder, who was brought in halfway through the New Zealand series and put up an outstanding display with bat and ball, appears to be a favourite of the new management under coach Gautam Gambhir. India chose to use the 25-year-old for the match even though they had Ashwin, Sundar, and Jadeja at their disposal in Perth. He appears to be going to be Ashwin's replacement.

India has been searching for a batsman who can also provide some pace in overs, particularly in SENA settings, ever since Hardik Pandya has kept himself away from red-ball cricket and they have found that potential in Nitish Reddy.

No home Test series till August 2025

Ashwin has an incredible record in India. He is an obvious choice because he has taken 383 of his 537 home wickets at an average of 21.44. Ashwin would have believed his prospects would be lower, though, as India will not have a home Test match after the 2025 England visit. Given that Jadeja appears to be the obvious choice in foreign settings and Sundar's arrival, Ashwin would have felt it would be better for him to leave at this point.