Hyderabad: India ace spinner R Ashwin's father, Ravichandran, revealed that the Indian cricketer's retirement decision raised eyebrows of many in their family, adding that he wanted his son to continue playing for the senior national team.
Ravichandran alleged that his son had been humiliated, which he suggested might have contributed to Ashwin's shocking retirement from international cricket. While he did not provide specific details about the allegations he made, it seems he was referring to the inconsistent opportunities Ashwin faced in overseas Tests.
Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a few minutes after the conclusion of the third Test -- Gabba Test between India and Australia in Brisbane on Wednesday, December 18, 2024. On the next morning, he arrived in Chennai the very next morning.
"I learned about his retirement at the last minute, actually," Ravichandran told News18. "Retiring is his wish and desire, and I cannot interfere in that. However, the manner in which he announced it suggests there could be many reasons. Only Ashwin knows, perhaps it was due to humiliation."
When asked if the family was emotional when Ashwin dropped the unexpected news on Wednesday, his father replied, "There’s no doubt about it being an emotional moment for the family. He has been on the field for 14-15 years, and the sudden change of retirement really shocked us. At the same time, we had been anticipating this because the humiliation had been ongoing. How long could he tolerate it? He probably made this decision on his own."
Ravichandran has been a pillar of support throughout Ashwin's cricketing career. A former fast bowler at the club level, he encouraged his son to pursue the sport and supported him when Ashwin transitioned from being a batter to an off-spinner in order to break into the state's Ranji Trophy team as a teenager.
