Ravichandran Ashwin Archives

Star spinner likely to be called up to India’s Champions Trophy squad: reports

Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy is likely to be added to the national team’s squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Indian media reported.

The reports came out in the wake of the fact that the mystery spinner joined the national team’s training camp on Tuesday ahead of the three-match ODI series against England.

It’s worth mentioning that the deadline for the teams to make changes to their preliminary squads without ICC approval is February 11.

Although the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not announced his inclusion in the squad, his presence in the training camp has raised speculations that might be added to the squad for the England ODIs as well as Champions Trophy 2025.

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India has previously named four spinners in their preliminary squad for the eight-team event, including the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sunder, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel.

Previously, former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who recently announced his retirement, predicted that Varun Chakravarthy could be added to the squad for the Champions Trophy 2025, following his brilliant bowling performance in the T20I series against England.

Chakravarthy bagged the Player of the Series award in the five-match T20I series, after claiming 14 wickets.

India squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah*, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashaswi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja

*Jasprit Bumrah’s inclusion in the Champions Trophy 2025 squad is subject to his fitness.

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Babar Azam reacts to Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement

Pakistan batting maestro Babar Azam has reacted to the shocking retirement of veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday.

Ashwin shocked the world earlier this week, announcing his retirement from international cricket effective immediately after the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Brisbane.

He revealed his decision during the post-match press conference after the rain-affected third Test concluded in a draw, expressing gratitude for his journey with the Indian cricket team.

Babar Azam, who is currently in South Africa for Pakistan’s all-format series, posted a story on his official Instagram account today, congratulating Ashwin for a wonderful career.

“Congratulations on an incredible career Ravichandran Ashwin,” the former Pakistan captain posted.

Ashwin will go down in history as one of the greatest bowlers to play for India, having represented the country in 106 Test matches and taking 537 wickets at an average of 24.

He is India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, only behind legendary Anil Kumble, who finished with 619 wickets from 132 Tests.

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Moreover, Ashwin has also scored 3503 runs with six centuries and 14 half-centuries in Test cricket. He is one of 11 all-rounders with more than 3000 runs and 300 wickets.

During his 14-year-long international career, he has also played 116 ODIs and 65 T20Is, taking 156 and 72 wickets in the two formats respectively.

READ: Babar Azam breaks MS Dhoni’s record during second ODI against South Africa

Ravichandran Ashwin announces retirement from international cricket

Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has announced his retirement from international cricket effective immediately after the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Brisbane.

He announced his decision during the post-match press conference after the rain-affected third Test concluded in a draw, expressing gratitude for his journey with the Indian cricket team.

“This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level,” Ashwin said.

“I do feel there’s a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to express that and probably showcase that in club-level cricket, but this will be the last day [for India].

“I’ve had a lot of fun. I must say I have created a lot of memories alongside Rohit [Sharma] and several of my other teammates, even though I have lost some of them [to retirements] over the last few years.

“We’re the last bunch of OGs if we can say that, left out in the dressing room, and. I will be marking this as my date of having played at this level.

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“Obviously there are a lot of people to thank, but I would be failing in my duties if I didn’t thank the BCCI and my fellow team-mates. Several of them.

“I want to name a few of them. All the coaches who have been part of the journey. Most importantly, Rohit, Virat [Kohli], Ajinkya [Rahane], [Cheteshwar] Pujara, who have taken those splendid catches around the bat to give me the number of wickets I’ve managed to get over the years.”

Ravichandran Ashwin will go down in history as one of the greatest bowlers to play for India, having represented the country in 106 Test matches and taking 537 wickets at an average of 24.

He is India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, only behind legendary Anil Kumble, who finished with 619 wickets from 132 Tests.

Moreover, Ashwin has also scored 3503 runs with six centuries and 14 half-centuries in Test cricket. He is one of 11 all-rounders with more than 3000 runs and 300 wickets.

During his 14-year-long international career, he has also played 116 ODIs and 65 T20Is, taking 156 and 72 wickets in the two formats respectively.

READ: Another Pakistan cricketer announces retirement after Mohammad Amir, Imad Wasim

Ravichandran Ashwin sets unique Test record with sixth century

CHENNAI: India’s bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin on Thursday, etched his name into the record books with a fighting century against Bangladesh on the opening day of the first Test here at MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Ashwin became the first batter in the history of Test cricket to register 20 fifty-plus scores, coupled with more than 30 five-wicket hauls.

The right-handed batter walked out to bat at No.8 with India reeling at 144/6 and turned the game on its head with a counterattacking partnership with Ravindra Jadeja.

The duo dominated the Bangladesh bowlers and remained undefeated until the Stumps were called. They added 195 runs for the eighth wicket to put India into a dominant position being six down with 339 runs on the board.

Ravichandran Ashwin smashed 10 fours and two sixes amid his record-setting century.

The all-rounder now has 36 five-wicket hauls, six centuries and 14 half-centuries to his name in Tests.

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Furthermore, Ashwin, from a batting position eight or below, now has four centuries, only behind legendary New Zealand all-rounder Daniel Vettori, who scored five tons.

Ashwin boasts an impressive all-round record at MA Chidambaram Stadium, having scored 331 runs at an average of 55.16 with the help of two centuries and a fifty in five Tests and seven innings.

He also has 30 wickets at an average of 23.60 at the same venue with the best bowling figures of 7/103. Ashwin has also registered four five-wicket hauls and a ten-wicket haul at the same venue.

As a result, Ravichandran Ashwin joined an elusive list of all-rounders like Sir Garfield Sobers, Kapil Dev, Chris Cairns and Ian Botham, who have multiple centuries and five-wicket hauls at a venue.

It is worth mentioning that India will resume their first innings at 339/6 against Bangladesh on the second day with Ashwin and Jadeja set on the crease.

READ: Sarfaraz Ahmed’s stump-mic comments about Babar Azam go viral

Ton-up Ashwin steers India out of trouble against Bangladesh

CHENNAI: Bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin smashed a defiant century to lead India’s recovery after a disastrous start against Bangladesh on the opening day of the first Test here at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.

At the stumps on the opening day, the hosts were in a comfortable position being six down with 339 runs on the board.

Earlier, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto’s dismissal to put India into bat bore fruits as young pacer Hasan Mahmud ran through their top order.

Mahmud dismissed India’s skipper Rohit Sharma (6), Shubman Gill (0) and Virat Kohli (6) in quick succession to leave the hosts reeling at 34/3 just an hour into the game.

Wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant then joined forces with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and together they raised an anchoring fourth-wicket partnership which yielded 62 runs.

The budding partnership was broken by Mahmud, who got rid of Pant. The wicketkeeper batter played a gutsy 39-run knock which featured six boundaries.

Jaiswal was then involved in another crucial partnership for the home side when he added 48 runs for the fifth wicket with KL Rahul.

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But, the hosts, once again failed to convert a budding partnership into a big one as both Jaiswal and Rahul perished in successive overs, resulting in India being reduced to 144/6.

Jaiswal scored 56 off 118 deliveries with the help of nine boundaries, while Rahul played a scratchy 16-run knock.

With India in heaps of trouble, India’s spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja turned the game on its head with a counterattacking partnership.

The pair dominated the Bangladesh bowlers and registered an unbeaten 195-run partnership for the seventh wicket amid which Ashwin brought up his sixth Test century.

When the Stumps were called, Ashwin had scored a brisk 102 off just 112 deliveries with the help of a dozen boundaries including two sixes. Whereas, Jadeja was on the cusp of his fifth century, having scored 86 with the same tally of the boundaries.

Young pacer Hasan Mahmud was the star with the ball for Bangladesh, picking up four wickets, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nahid Rana shared two wickets between them.

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Ashwin sympathizes with Pakistan cricket after Bangladesh whitewash

India’s spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed sympathy to the Pakistan cricket team following their 2-0 Test series whitewash defeat against Bangladesh.

The Green Shirts succumbed to a 2-0 loss in the two-match series against Bangladesh, which culminated at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Bangladesh outclassed Pakistan by six wickets in the second Test to complete the clean sweep. The touring side had won the first Test thumpingly by 10 wickets.

The whitewash resulted in Pakistan dropping two places to eighth with 66 rating points.

“This is the lowest rating points Pakistan have had in the Test rankings table since 1965, barring a brief period where they did not have a place in the rankings due to an insufficient number of matches,” the ICC press release stated.

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Meanwhile, India’s Ravichandran Ashwin, on his YouTube channel, sympathized with the “passionate” Pakistan fans and stated it is disappointing to see the current status of the team with such a glorified history.

“What a victory for Bangladesh but what a disappointment for Pakistan. It’s quite disappointing because Pakistan is not an easy team to beat. But more than 1000 days at home Pakistan haven’t won at home. Pakistani cricket fans are passionate,” Ashwin stated.

“You know who I feel for the most? It’s Pakistan cricket’s history. Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Imran Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Ijaz Ahmed, Salim Malik, Saeed Anwar, Amer Sohail… I can just keep on going. What legacy that country and their cricket team has,” he added.

Ravichandran Ashwin also backed Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood, stating that the latter speaks sense and can be a very good captain for the team.

“I feel terribly bad for someone like Shan Masood. Shan Masood is a very smart cricketer. I know that guy. He speaks a lot of sense. He can be a really good captain for Pakistan. But handling a Pakistan team at this point, where somebody like Babar Azam is not the captain and he’s the poster boy of Pakistan, it cannot be an easy dressing room,” he concluded.

READ: Pakistan’s Haider Ali bags bronze medal at Paralympics 2024

Ravichandran Ashwin “surprised” by Pakistan batting in Bangladesh defeat

India’s spinner Ravichandran Ashwin commented on Pakistan’s dramatic batting collapse in the second innings of the first Test against Bangladesh.

Pakistan succumbed to a 10-wicket defeat against Bangladesh in the opening Test of the two-match series, underway in Rawalpindi.

The defeat was Pakistan’s first ever against Bangladesh in Test cricket.

Following the defeat, several strategies, such as going with an all-pace attack, declaration and batting failure in the second innings, came under questions.

Pakistan, after being put into bat first, accumulated 448/6 and declared their first innings in the dying minutes of the second day.

Bangladesh, in response, piled up a mammoth total of 565, courtesy of Mushfiqur Rahim’s marathon 191-run knock, before bundling out in the third session of the fourth day.

The first Test was assumed to be heading towards a draw but Pakistan’s batting lineup faltered on the final day and could score 146, setting Bangladesh a meagre 30-run target.

The Bangladesh openers made no mistake in chasing down a paltry total and steered their side to a historic victory over Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin reacted to Pakistan’s gut-wrenching defeat against Bangladesh, stating that the home side surprised him with their batting failure in the second innings.

“The match was in sleep mode for the first three days. Suddenly, Pakistan surprised me with a surprise when I was about to catch a flight. When I saw the highlights of the match, I understood one thing. The proper, tiring collapse on a final day. I haven’t seen that for a long time,” he said on his YouTube channel.

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He further stated that teams can not surrender on such batting-friendly pitches.

“Teams don’t surrender in a pitch like this. In first-class cricket, strong teams will bat first and hit big. The wicket will be a batting wicket. In those two days, they will pull off an all-out in a tired state. When the wicket crumbles, they will get all out again. I got that depiction. There is nothing in the pitch. It’s an absolute road,” he said.

Ravichandran Ashwin acknowledged Mohammad Rizwan’s fighting knock in the second innings where no other Pakistan batter could put up a fight.

“In fact, in the end, Rizwan was staging a fight. I didn’t understand a thing. Naseem Shah played a shot and left cheaply. I didn’t understand what just happened. I didn’t understand a thing,” the Indian cricketer concluded.

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Ravichandran Ashwin suggests dropping THIS South Africa player

Ravichandran Ashwin has suggested that South Africa should consider dropping their star spinner Tabraiz Shamsi in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final against India on Saturday.

Ashwin supported pace bowler Ottniel Baartman instead of Shamsi due to Indian batters’ strength against spinners, particularly the sweep shot.

“[Tabraiz] Shamsi is one bowler who will go for sweeps. And India has been sweeping. Adil Rashid, [Liam] Livingstone was slightly quicker through the area. They were able to get 39 runs along with Jordan and Sam Curran,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

“I see this as a very important match-up. And hence, I believe South Africa should seriously consider playing [Ottniel] Baartman ahead of Shamsi for the final.”

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Former Indian batter Robbin Uthappa also voiced a similar opinion as Ravichandran Ashwin, stating that he would be happy to see Shamsi playing.

“As far as I am concerned, if Shamsi is playing, I will be damn happy, especially in Barbados. And if Baartman is playing, I will be like, we have to be a little wary,” Uthappa said.

“Who would I prefer between these two? Definitely, Shamsi. I know that he will give runs. Even if he takes a wicket, I don’t care. If he takes 40-45-50 runs, I am done. Because in India’s current batting approach, even if he takes a wicket, it’s not a big deal.”

Tabraiz Shamsi has played four matches in the T20 World Cup so far, taking 11 wickets at an average of 9.27, whereas Ottniel Baartman has managed six wickets in five games at 15.66.

READ: Aiden Markram believes South Africa ‘can win from any position’

Ravichandran Ashwin set to rejoin team in ongoing England Test: BCCI

India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will rejoin the team on Sunday’s day four of the third Test against England after he left midway through the match due to a family emergency, the country’s cricket board said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India said Ashwin “will continue to contribute towards the team’s cause in the ongoing Test match” in Rajkot after the player had earlier flown back to his hometown Chennai.

Ashwin will be available to bowl as soon as he is needed despite having spent all of day three off the field on Saturday.

According to the game’s playing conditions, the umpires can waive the requirement for a player to spend as much time back on the field as they spent off it before bowling if their absence was for “wholly acceptable reasons, which shall not include illness or internal injury”.

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Ashwin, 37, had to leave the match on Friday’s day two, hours after becoming just the ninth bowler to reach 500 Test wickets.

The off-spinner dismissed Zak Crawley for 15 for his milestone, joining fellow spinner Anil Kumble (619) as the second Indian to achieve the feat.

India bowled England out for 319 to take a handy lead of 126 as their bowlers, led by Mohammed Siraj, delivered in Ashwin’s absence as India were left with 10 players to bat and bowl.

Ashwin’s fellow spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets each.

The five-match series is level at 1-1 after England won the opener, but India bounced back in the second match.

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Ravichandran Ashwin to leave Rajkot Test midway

RAJKOT: India’s experienced spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has withdrawn himself from the ongoing third Test against England, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed on Friday.

According to the BCCI, Ashwin opted to leave the ongoing Rajkot Test midway due to a “family emergency”.

“In these challenging times, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the team fully supports Ashwin,” stated BCCI in a press release.

“The BCCI extends its heartfelt support to the champion cricketer and his family. The health and well-being of the players and their loved ones are of utmost importance. The Board requests respect for the privacy of Ashwin and his family as they navigate through this challenging time.

“The Board and the team will continue to provide any necessary assistance to Ashwin and will keep the lines of communication open to offer support as needed. Team India appreciates the understanding and empathy of the fans and media during this sensitive period.”

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Earlier today, Ravichandran Ashwin became the second-fastest bowler to take 500 wickets in Test cricket.

Ashwin began the Rajkot Test on 499 wickets and dismissed Zak Crawley (15) to claim his 500th wicket, becoming the ninth bowler to achieve this feat.

He took only 98 Tests to reach the landmark, which is the second-fastest, while Sri Lankan legend Muthiah Muralidaran is the fastest as he took only 87 Test matches.

He is only the second Indian bowler to reach the milestone after fellow spinner Anil Kumble (619).

Meanwhile, Ashwin also became the fifth spinner across the globe to join the elite 500-wicket club after Kumble, Muralidaran, Shane Warne and Nathan Lyon.

Ravichandran Ashwin, 37, has played 98 Tests since his debut in 2011 against West Indies in Delhi and bowled Darren Bravo to claim his first wicket.

In addition to his tally of 500 wickets, he has also scored 3,308 runs including five Test centuries in his 13-year long Test career.

READ: India get five-run penalty after Ashwin run in danger zone