Explained: Why Did Ravichandran Ashwin Retire Amidst IND vs AUS Series?

On Wednesday, December 18, one of India’s greatest Ravichandran Ashwin declared his retirement from international cricket in the middle of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. He took part in a total of 106 Tests and scalped 537 wickets. Ashwin also made 3503 runs with the help of 6 centuries and 14 fifties. A lot of fans and former cricketers were shocked when Ashwin announced his retirement.

All this transpired during the final day of the Gabba Test when Ashwin was spotted hugging Virat Kohli in the dressing room. Immediately after he walked out to attend the post-match press conference alongside Rohit Sharma and announced his retirement. A lot of people were shocked but it looked like Ashwin planned all of it beforehand. Take a look at a few possible reasons behind Ashwin’s retirement.

One of the reasons could be Ravindra Jadeja’s spot in the playing XI for the remainder of the series. Jadeja was brilliant with the bat as he made 77 valuable runs, helping India avoid the follow-on. On the back of an impressive performance, it seems like Jadeja will play all the remaining Test matches.

Another reason could be Nitish Kumar Reddy’s addition in the Indian team. Nitish has impressed everyone with his performance in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The young gun has scored 179 runs in 5 innings at an average of 44.75 alongside taking 3 wickets. Because of Nitish’s heroics, it’s difficult for Ashwin to make it to the playing XI.

"I don't want to make it about myself. This is my last day as an international cricketer. I have created a lot of memories. We are the last bunch of OGs in the dressing room. I have a lot of people to thank… BCCI, my fellow teammates, all the coaches. This will be my last day as an India international cricketer. I will play club cricket. I had a lot of fun," Ashwin said during India's post-match press conference.