Confusion erupts as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s statements contradict Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement plan (Photo Source: BCCI)
It was quite a sudden surprise when seasoned campaigner, Ravichandran Ashwin, decided to hang his boots on the international stage across formats immediately after the Brisbane Test concluded. As per Ashwin, December 18, 2024, was his “last day” representing India. After thanking his teammates as well as looking back on his international career, he however clarified that he would be open to play club cricket and franchise leagues.
However, the circumstances behind his sudden retreat from the grandest stage seem to be rife with speculations. This comes after the comments made by Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma post Ashwin’s call was made official.
Kohli, who made his Test debut in the same year as Ashwin (2011), recently posted on X that he got to know only on Wednesday that the spin-bowling maestro would retire. “I’ve played with you for 14 years and when you told me today you’re retiring, it made me a bit emotional and the flashbacks of all those years playing together came to me,” was what Kohli’s tweet included.
While Kohli expressed that he got to know on Wednesday itself that Ashwin would call it a day after the third Test, he did not mention whether he had any clue beforehand about the thought of retirement crossing Ashwin’s mind at the start of the series.
On the other hand, skipper Rohit Sharma’s statements at the post-match press conference indicated a completely different narrative. Rohit added that he had heard about the development in Perth (venue of the first Test where Ashwin was not picked). He also added that it was Rohit who convinced Ashwin to stay put for the day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval, which was the only game Ashwin featured in.
“I heard this when I came to Perth (venue of the first Test where Ashwin was not picked in the last week of November). Obviously, I was not there for the first three or four days of the Test match. But, this has been in his mind since then. When we came here as well, we were not sure about which spinner was going to play. We just wanted to assess and see what kind of conditions we get in front of us. When I arrived in Perth, this was a chat we had. I somehow convinced him to stay for that pink-ball Test match,” shared Rohit during the post-match press conference.
As if this wasn’t enough, a report by the Press Trust of India reported that the decision to retire was in Ashwin’s mind after the home series against New Zealand. As per a report by The Indian Express, it is disclosed that Ashwin had informed his family members well ahead of even boarding the flight to Australia.
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