Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired just a few days ago, has revealed the promise he made early in his career. He spoke about the same in the tribute video posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Ravichandran Ashwin shocked the entire cricket fraternity after the third Test between India National Cricket Team and Australia National Cricket Team at the Gabba in Brisbane. The spinner attended a press conference with Rohit Sharma and announced his retirement from international cricket.
This came as a massive surprise to many as Ashwin was the legend of the game and with the way he was going, it's fair to say he still had some international cricket left in him. The mid-series spinner took the massive decision and surprised many.
Since Ashwin has now retired, if we look at the kind of impact he had for India, especially in Tests, it is fair to say that there will not be another player like him. The all-rounder has gone on to be one of the best players to have played the game of cricket.
Ravichandran Ashwin has been one of the major reasons behind the Indian national cricket team's dominance at home
Ashwin was one of the major reasons behind the Indian national cricket team's dominance at home from 2013 to 2023. Because of him, the Indian team did not lose a single series at home during this period as he contributed immensely with bat and ball. Notably, India recently lost a Test series at home against New Zealand, which shattered the likes of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
Ravichandran Ashwin's ability to run through the batting line-ups has been one of the highlights of his career. He ended his career with 537 Test wickets, which is the second highest by an Indian player in the format, the first being Anil Kumble who picked 619 wickets in the longest format of the game.
I was just telling myself, we won't lose any more, ever – Ravichandran Ashwin's promise to himself
Ravichandran Ashwin, in the video, also revealed that when India lost the Test series against England in the 2012/13 season, he promised himself that they would never lose a series at home again. He added:
“Look, I don't know where to start. Honestly, I think I made a promise to myself in 2012. I lost a series against England, a tough one. It was very early in my career and I was just saying to myself, we're not going to lose another , never and that's what I promised myself.”
Ravichandran Ashwin also mentioned that if someone had told him in 2011 that he would retire with many wickets and runs, he would not have accepted it. He also expressed his gratitude to everyone who supported and challenged him. He elaborated:
“But if someone had told me in 2011 that I would get this many wickets, I would have retired on December 18, 2024; I wouldn't have believed them. Because I knew this was a game I loved.
“But I never expected to get so much love and so many wickets and so many runs. I am very happy. A deep sense of gratitude for all those who supported me, for all those who challenged me. So happy today. Thank you.”
Watch: BCCI pays tribute to Ravichandran Ashwin on his retirement
To celebrate the legacy of Ravichandran Ashwin, who also hit 6 Test centuries, BCCI posted a heartfelt video for him. The clip highlights his special milestones over the years and also his valuable words.