Ravichandran Ashwin retires from IPL
Have you ever thought about how much willpower it takes to voluntarily leave the brightest stage? Especially when you can still perform on it. Ravichandran Ashwin retires from IPL. Yes, one of the smartest players in modern cricket has done exactly that.
Why Ravichandran Ashwin Retires From IPL
The veteran cricketer announced this week that he ends his career in the Indian Premier League. It happened very soon after his farewell to international cricket last December. He is leaving the Chennai Super Kings, that team where he began his career. And you know, this decision came as a bit of a shock to many.
Ashwin, always honest and straightforward, figured it all out himself on his YouTube channel. He didn’t hide the real reason. Why Ravichandran Ashwin retires from IPL? It turned out to be banal and at the same time very clear. He was just tired. Really tired. Three months of IPL is not a joke. Constant flights, matches, recovery, this schedule exhausts even the young. And he is 38. He confessed that it is becoming more and more difficult to find the strength for this every year.
“I was wondering if I could play IPL next year,” Ashwin shared. “Three months of the league is too much for me now. It’s draining. You know, I’m just amazed when I see a player like MS Dhoni. As you get older, you just don’t have the stamina to do that kind of marathon.” This his words resonate especially because we’ve all seen him give it his all on the field until the very end.
Some, of course, have assumed that his leaving is somehow connected with the team’s plans for the upcoming auction. But Ashwin seems to have cleared everything up. His decision is a deeply personal choice, dictated by fatigue, and not by any secret management plans.
Ravichandran Ashwin retires from IPL: what’s next
But don’t think we’re saying goodbye to him forever. This isn’t the end, but rather a new beginning. Ashwin himself has hinted that he looks closely at opportunities in other leagues. There are rumours about The Hundred in England and SA20 in South Africa. He confirmed that he’s already registered to participate in one of the leagues, but is keeping intrigue for now, not naming it.
Although Ravichandran Ashwin retires from IPL, what about coaching work? He does not exclude such a turn. But with one clause that he will do it only on his own terms. It is difficult to imagine him as a mentor who is just passing the time. If he takes on the job, then only with full dedication and his own unique ideas.
He ended his farewell to the IPL with a very warm post on social media. ” They say every ending will have a new start. My time as an Indian Premier League cricketer comes to a close today, but my time as an explorer of the game around various leagues begins today.” It sounds like a perfect end to one chapter and a promising introduction to the next.
And when you look back, what remains? A huge legacy. 16 seasons, 221 matches, 187 wickets with a very respectable economy of 7.20. He was not just a great bowler but also an unexpectedly useful lower batsman who scored 833 runs, including a half century. He came through the Rising Pune Supergiant, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals to eventually return home to Chennai.
His departure is a reason for gratitude. Thank you for all these years, for the incredible magic with the ball, for the sharp mind we saw in every game. Cricket simply won’t be the same without him in IPL. But we will definitely keep an eye on that where he goes next. Because his journey, as he himself said, is just beginning.
