Ravichandran Ashwin recently announced his retirement from international cricket during India’s tour of Australia. He decided to return home after the third Test match in Brisbane.
Ashwin is renowned not only for his exceptional cricketing abilities but also for his eloquent communication style. He is known for engaging and thought-provoking conversations.
Ashwin’s memoir, released in July, offers insights into both his personal life and his cricketing journey. The book’s publication coincided with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and preceded his retirement from international cricket.
In conversation with Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain on a Sky Sports podcast, Ashwin discussed his book.
He expressed his hope that the memoir would provide readers with a deeper understanding of his personality beyond the cricket field. He wanted people to see him as more than just a cricketer.
Addressing a common perception about his demeanour, Ashwin contrasted his on-field seriousness with Virat Kohli’s more expressive style.
“I wanted people to know me for who I am because, a lot of times, Ashwin’s picking up a wicket, and Virat Kohli is all over the place. He’s just jumping about, and people very often tend to believe that Ashwin’s the one that’s absolutely serious and Virat’s the one that’s having all the fun, which is why somebody asked me the question: ‘Why are you serious all the time?’”
Ashwin explained that his serious expression during matches does not accurately reflect his personality off the field.
“My answer to that, in the first place, is I’m never a serious person. But when somebody is clobbering me and I have the ball in my hand to win a Test match for my country, my mind is ticking, because I’m in the process.”
He emphasised that his focus intensifies during crucial moments in a game, requiring deep concentration.
Ashwin holds the record for the most five-wicket hauls (37) and Player of the Series awards (11) by an Indian Test cricketer. Despite these achievements, he avoids extravagant celebrations.
He refrains from overly demonstrative displays of affection, such as blowing kisses after achieving milestones.
“So very often, you don’t see me picking up a five-wicket haul and pushing across a kiss through the blade of my bat to my better half sitting in the dressing room or in the hospitality box. I felt like a lot of who I am got diluted in the fact of what I’ve become. So I wanted to bring that out in my book.”
Ashwin wrote his memoir to present a more complete picture of himself, going beyond his public image as a cricketer. He wanted to share aspects of his personality that are often hidden from view.
He believes his public persona does not fully reflect the complexities of who he is as an individual.
In his 106 Test matches for India, Ashwin took 537 wickets at an average of 24.00. His best bowling figures in a Test innings were 7 wickets for 59 runs.
As a batsman, Ashwin scored 3,503 runs in Test matches at an average of 25.75. He registered six centuries and 14 half-centuries, with a highest score of 124.
Ashwin was a member of the Indian teams that won the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy.