Courtesy: ANI/Google
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who had suddenly announced his international retirement in a press conference in Brisbane a day ago, arrived at his residence in Chennai on Thursday, December 19. While speaking to journalists at his home, the 38-year-old revealed his intention to play for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for as long as he possibly can, stating that the days of him as a cricketer aren’t done yet.
After landing at the Chennai airport earlier this morning, Ravichandran Ashwin remained tight-lipped amidst the questions from journalists before being picked up by his wife Prithi and two daughters. The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer had instead invited a select group of journalists at his home to speak about how his decision to retire from international cricket came to be in such a sudden manner, and what are his plans for the future in cricket.
I am going to play for CSK, and don't be surprised if I try and aspire to play for as long as I can: Ravichandran Ashwin
While talking about his retirement from international cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin remarked that he was contemplating the big decision during the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test before going through with it after the conclusion of the match. He was quoted as saying, by ANI, “It's emotional for a lot of people. It will be emotional, maybe it will sink in. But for me, it's a great sense of relief and satisfaction. It had been running in my head for a while but it was very instinctive. I felt it on day 4 and called it on day 5.”
Watch the video of Ravichandran Ashwin's comment on CSK here:
When Ravichandran Ashwin was asked about his immediate plans in cricket, he wittingly told them about wanting to be idle for the time being since it’s been quite a difficult thing for him to do. After that, he spilled the beans about what to expect from him, and said, “I am going to play for CSK, and don't be surprised if I try and aspire to play for as long as I can. I don't think Ashwin the cricketer is done. I think Ashwin the Indian cricketer has probably called it time. That's it.”
Ravichandran Ashwin has been an IPL winner with CSK in the early stages of his cricketing career, and his return to the franchise is seen by many as a coming full circle moment.
