A day after calling time on his historic India career, Ravichandran Ashwin had a message for his fans: I am not done with cricket yet.
Talking to the media after reaching Chennai on Thursday morning, the Indian legend said that he will continue to play for the Chennai Super Kings franchise in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League.
“I am going to play for CSK. Don’t be surprised if I try and aspire to play as long as possible. I don’t think Ashwin the cricketer is done, I think Ashwin the Indian cricketer has said this time. That’s it,’ said Ashwin.
Asked if announcing his retirement was a difficult decision, Ashwin said, “It is not. It’s emotional for a lot of people. It will be emotional, maybe it will sink in. But for me, it’s a great relief and a feeling of satisfaction… It was going on in my mind for a while but it was very comfortable. I felt it on day 4 and called it on day 5…”
Read more: Top 15 records in international cricket by R Ashwin: A breakdown of the spinner’s career in numbers
The spinner took a break from his career on Wednesday after the third Test match between India and Australia ended in a draw. Ashwin’s decision to retire in the middle of the series with two Tests remaining raised some eyebrows. In particular, the fifth Test will favor the spinners.
He played only one of the three Tests in Australia. He retired from the Indian cricket team with 537 Test caps to his name. His Test wicket tally is second highest for India only behind Anil Kumble’s 619.
Notably, the spinner has taken a hundred and five wickets in four Tests, bettered only by England cricket legend Ian Botham, who played five matches.
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