'Having to just sit out a lot more, eventually got to me' - R Ashwin reveals why he suddenly decided to retire

Ravichandran Ashwin shocked the world during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series when he announced his retirement from international cricket after the third Test. He played only the second Test on the five-match tour before being dropped for the third at The Gabba in Brisbane.

After serving international cricket for 14 years, Ashwin played 287 matches across formats and picked up 765 wickets. In Test cricket, he accounted for 537 wickets, making him the second-highest wicket-taker in the format for India after Anil Kumble.

During a recent interaction with former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid, Ashwin said that the thought of retirement was on his mind for quite some time. However, he eventually made the decision after being fed up with having to sit out in overseas tours. Ashwin felt that it was better for him to spend time with his family instead of warming the bench.

“I think it was just the time, and where I stood in my life, right? I think I was pretty old, I must admit,” Ashwin said with a laugh when asked by Dravid, before revealing what really led to the call, during the latest episode of his YouTube series Kutti Stories

"But going on tours, and you know, having to just sit out a lot more, eventually got to me. I mean, not in terms of not wanting to contribute to the team, but you’re thinking if I would rather be at home, spending time with children. They are also growing up, and what am I actually doing?” he said, calling it a moment of realisation," the legendary off-spinner revealed.

I always decided that I would retire at 34-35: Ashwin

Ashwin said that he always wanted to retire when he was 34-35 years old. He eventually played till 38. However, Ashwin continues playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“In my head, I always decided that I would retire at 34-35,” the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) off-spinner mentioned.

In IPL 2025, Ashwin played nine matches for the Men in Yellow and picked up seven wickets at an average of 40.43 and an economy rate of 9.13.