Ravichandran Ashwin has announced his retirement from all formats of international cricket, effective immediately, following the draw in the third Test against Australia in Brisbane on December 18.
At the time of his retirement, the 38-year-old was ranked fifth in the ICC Test bowler rankings and third in the all-rounder rankings.
Ashwin, India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests behind Anil Kumble, has brought an end to his 14-year career, which saw him play 106 Tests, with his final match being the day-night Test in Adelaide earlier in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Known as the fastest to reach 250, 300, and 350 Test wickets, Ashwin finishes with 537 wickets, placing him seventh on the all-time list of highest wicket-takers in Test history.
“This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level,” Ashwin said in a press conference alongside Rohit Sharma after the Brisbane Test.
“I do feel there is a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to showcase that in clubs that are in cricket.
This will be my last day.
I’ve had a lot of fun.”
He went on to express his gratitude: “I must say I created a lot of memories alongside Rohit and several of my other teammates.
Even though I’ve lost some of them over the years, we are the last bunch of OGs, if you can say that, left in the dressing room.
I would mark this as my date of having played at this level.”
Ashwin thanked the BCCI, his fellow teammates, and coaches for their support over the years.
“Most importantly, thanks to Rohit, Virat, Ajinkya, and Pujara, who have taken those catches to help me get the wickets I’ve managed to get over the years.
A big thank you to the Australian cricket team, who have been fierce competitors.
I’ve enjoyed playing against them.”
With 37 five-wicket hauls in Tests, including one on debut, Ashwin is tied for second place alongside Shane Warne, behind Muttiah Muralitharan’s record of 67.
Ashwin also holds the record for dismissing the most left-handers in Test cricket, with 268 wickets.
A valuable lower-order batter, Ashwin has scored 3503 runs in Tests, including six centuries and 14 fifties.
He holds the Indian record for the most instances (4) of a century and a five-wicket haul in the same Test, second only to Ian Botham (5).
Ashwin debuted for India in Test cricket in 2011 against the West Indies and is one of only three allrounders in Test history to finish with over 3000 runs and 500 wickets.
He has won the Man of the Series award 11 times, tied for the highest number alongside Muttiah Muralitharan, with India winning every time.
A member of India’s 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy-winning teams, Ashwin also played 116 one-day internationals, claiming 156 wickets at an economy rate of 4.93 and an average of 33.20.
He also scored 707 runs in ODIs and took 72 wickets in 65 T20Is.
In recognition of his achievements, Ashwin was awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award by the Indian government in 2015.
After a standout 2015-16 season, he was named the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year and the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year in 2016.
He was also included in the ICC Test Team of the Decade (2011-2020).
Ashwin, who was bought for INR 9.75 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction, is set to return to CSK in the upcoming season and is expected to continue playing in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) and other club-level cricket.
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