Ravichandran Ashwin reveals what prompted him to retire, admits he lost his creativity

India’s veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin revealed he decided to retire as he felt he lost his creativity. Ashwin didn’t play the opening Test against Australia at Perth but he was part of the pink-ball Test at Adelaide and was once again dropped in the third Test at Brisbane.

After the Brisbane Test ended in a draw because of rain, Ashwin took the cricketing world by storm, announcing his retirement with immediate effect. Ashwin finished his Test career with 537 scalps, second-highest for India after Anil Kumble (619) and seventh-highest overall, in 106 Test matches.

The all-rounder also amassed 3503 runs in the red-ball version, including six Test centuries. Ashwin bagged 156 ODI wickets in 116 matches whereas he snared 72 wickets in 65 T20I matches.

Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel, ‘Ash ki bat’, “I think a lot. What to do in life. You all need to understand, that this happens instinctively. If someone gets to know, that their job is done, once that thinking comes, there is nothing to think. People said a lot of things. I don’t think it is a big deal.”

“You think what happened. I did not play the first Test. I played the second did not play the third. It was possible I could play the next or not play the next. This is a side of my creativity and I was looking to explore it. At that time, I felt my creativity was over so it was over. It was simple,” the seasoned off-spinner added.

Ashwin said he isn’t a fan of playing a farewell test match and that the game has given him a lot of happiness.

“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.”

“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 don’t 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’ and not ‘why not’,” Ashwin concluded.

Ashwin will play for Chennai Super Kings in the upcoming IPL.