Fans pay tribute to the ‘King of Carrom Ball’ after R Ashwin retires from all forms of international cricket

Social media was abuzz after Ravichandran Ashwin, arguably one of India’s greatest off-spinners, announced his retirement from international cricket. Fans, including Ashwin’s peers, flooded social media platforms with tributes, hailing his incredible 14-year-long career and calling him a “the king of carrom ball.”

Ashwin’s peers including friend and former teammate Dinesh Karthik, too wished him on the next phase of his life. Harsha Bhogle, a celebrated cricket commentator, shared his emotions, describing the announcement as “deeply emotional.”

Many demanded a farewell Test match for the Tamil Nadu stalwart, insisting he deserved a grand send-off.

Ashwin revealed his decision during the post-match press conference after India’s drawn fourth Test against Australia in Brisbane. “This will be my last year as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level. I feel there’s a little bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I’d like to express that, showcase that in club-level cricket,” he said.

Speculation about his retirement had been rife since Day 5 of the Brisbane Test, where cameras caught an emotional Ashwin being embraced by Virat Kohli during a rain delay. He was also spotted having a heartfelt conversation with Australian spinner Nathan Lyon. Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar hinted at the news during a live broadcast, which was later confirmed by Ashwin himself.

Ashwin’s illustrious career saw him rise to prominence in 2011 and become an integral part of India’s World Cup-winning campaign that year. Over the years, he proved his mettle across all formats, claiming 775 wickets in 106 Tests, 116 ODIs, and 65 T20Is. With 537 Test wickets, Ashwin is second only to Anil Kumble’s record of 619 for India.

As he steps away from the international stage, Ashwin reflected on continuing his journey in cricket at the domestic level. The spinner will return to action in IPL 2025, where he will don the Chennai Super Kings jersey after being picked up in last month’s mega auction.