As the Indian cricket team recently concluded their tour of Australia, all-rounder Ravi Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket. Now, Ashwin has made a significant statement regarding his decision to hang up his boots. He revealed that he had initially planned to retire after playing his 100th Test match last year. Moreover, Ashwin had expressed his desire for former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to be present at the stadium during his final Test. Notably, Ashwin had played his 100th Test against England in Dharamsala almost a year ago, where he took an impressive 9 wickets.
Ashwin shared that he had invited Dhoni to attend his 100th Test, hoping to receive a memento from him. He had made up his mind to retire after the Dharamsala Test, but things didn’t quite go as planned. Ashwin further stated that he never expected Dhoni to gift him a comeback opportunity with the Chennai Super Kings. He expressed his gratitude towards Dhoni, saying it’s been an absolute pleasure to be back with the team. Ashwin also took a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about his first IPL season and acknowledging that he would always be thankful to Dhoni for the chance to play alongside big-name players.
During the 2008 IPL season, Ashwin had the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the biggest names in cricket within the Chennai Super Kings camp. He recalled meeting the likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Matthew Hayden, and although the team already had the experienced Muttiah Muralitharan, Ashwin was still given a chance to showcase his skills. He credited Dhoni for giving him the opportunity to bowl with the new ball against the likes of Chris Gayle, and Ashwin emphasized that he would be forever grateful to Dhoni for the experience and guidance he received during his early days in the IPL.