R Ashwin Reveals Why He Retired From International Cricket Despite Rohit Sharma’s Request

Ravichandran Ashwin broke his silence on retiring from international cricket, confirming it was entirely his personal choice despite requests from Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir to reconsider.

Ravichandran Ashwin surprised the cricket world when he announced his retirement from international cricket on December 18, 2024. The veteran off-spinner, who was part of India’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad, made the decision after the rain-hit third Test at The Gabba in Brisbane. His choice to step away from all three formats came as a major shock, but more than 10 months later, Ashwin has finally opened up about what led to it.

According to Ashwin, no one forced him to retire midway through the series—it was completely his own decision. In fact, he revealed that then India captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir had asked him to reconsider.

No force to retire, reveals Ashwin

“No one told me that you should go; no one told me that there is no place for you in the team. Actually, before I took the decision, 2-3 people told me not to take it, but I took my decision. In fact, they wanted me to play more,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

“Rohit Sharma (the then captain) also told me to think about it; Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) also told me to think again. But I didn’t talk much about it (retirement) with Ajit Agarkar (chairman of selectors),” Ashwin added.

“The decision is very personal when it comes to retirement. These are all very individual decisions,” Ashwin added.

Ashwin retired as one of India’s greatest cricketers, having played 106 Tests, 116 ODIs, and 65 T20Is over a 14-year career. He claimed 537 wickets in Tests, 156 in ODIs, and 72 in T20Is. The off-spinner was also part of India’s World Cup-winning squads in 2011 and 2013 under MS Dhoni’s leadership.

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After retiring from international cricket, Ashwin featured in the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Chennai Super Kings. However, after a few underwhelming performances, he was dropped from the playing XI. Later, in August 2025, he announced his retirement from the IPL as well.

Ashwin, who has represented five franchises in the IPL, is now set to make history by becoming the first Indian cricketer to play in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL). He has signed with Sydney Thunder for the 2025-26 season and will play under the leadership of David Warner.

Last Updated on October 9, 2025