Chennai: A day after announcing his retirement from international cricket in the middle of the Test series against Australia, India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin made a quiet return home on Thursday morning.
Ashivan could be seen being escorted out of the Chennai International Airport by local authorities as fans took pictures before leaving with his family without speaking to the waiting media.
Ashwin announced his retirement with immediate effect on Wednesday in the middle of the five-match Test series, which was tied 1-1 after three matches. He will continue to play club cricket, including the IPL, where he will return to play for Chennai Super Kings next year.
He signed on as the second highest wicket-taker for India in Tests with 537 scalps in 106 matches, placing him only behind the great Anil Kumble (619 wickets) in overall statistics.
“I think I have some punch left in me as a cricketer but I want to showcase that in club level cricket,” Ashwin said in a brief statement at a joint press conference with captain Rohit Sharma in Brisbane. There is a third Test draw.
Before boarding the evening flight to Chennai, Ashwin also addressed his teammates, assuring them that he would be there for them whenever they needed him.
“The cricketer in me, the Indian cricketer, the international cricketer may end, but the cricket nut in me will never end,” he said in his farewell address shared by BCCI on social media in the dressing room.
In the limited-overs format, being part of the 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy-winning squads will count among the major highlights of his 14-year career.
Ashwin has played 116 ODIs for India and has taken 156 wickets and has taken 72 wickets in 65 T20I matches. His career began in 2010 in the ODI format before he made his Test debut a year later.