Former World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev has opened up on Ravichandran Ashwin’s shocking retirement after the Brisbane Test against Australia. Ashwin didn’t play the opening Test against Australia at Perth but he was part of the pink-ball Test at Adelaide and was once again dropped in the third Test at Brisbane.

After the Brisbane Test ended in a draw because of rain, Ashwin took the cricketing world by storm, announcing his retirement with immediate effect. Ashwin finished his Test career with 537 scalps, second-highest for India after Anil Kumble (619) and seventh-highest overall, in 106 Test matches.

The all-rounder also amassed 3503 runs in the red-ball version, including six Test centuries. Ashwin bagged 156 ODI wickets in 116 matches whereas he snared 72 wickets in 65 T20I matches./

Kapil Dev said on Gulf News, “Ashwin is a very strong-headed guy. It’s good to see such characters in cricketers. I felt a little sad when he left in the middle of the tour. He was a great cricketer India has produced and served the game so well, but he should have waited and done it differently. Nevertheless, what he did for the country is unbelievable.”

Ashwin, on the other hand, said he didn’t want to be part of the team because he wanted to play the farewell match.

“I want to play more cricket. Where is the place? Obviously not in the Indian dressing room, but somewhere else. I want to be honest with the game. Imagine if I wanted to play a farewell Test but didn’t deserve a place. Imagine I was only selected because it was my farewell Test.”

“I don’t want that. I felt there was still strength in my cricket and that I could have played a bit more. But it’s always better to leave when people ask why rather than why not,” he added.

Ashwin will be seen playing for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025.