The legendary off-spinner, considered one of India’s greatest cricketers, bid adieu to international cricket after the third Test. Ashwin’s decision, at 38, stunned the cricketing fraternity and fueled speculation about tensions in the dressing room and potential discord with the team management.

However, Ashwin’s own words revealed a deeply personal reason behind his choice.

“I think a lot. What to do in life. You all need to understand, that this happens instinctively. If someone gets to know, that their job is done, once that thinking comes, there is nothing to think. People said a lot of things. I don’t think it is a big deal,” Ashwin shared on his Hindi YouTube channel, Ash ki Baat.

“You think what happened? I did not play the first Test. I played the second, did not play the third. It was possible I could play the next or not play the next. This is a side of my creativity and I was looking to explore it. At that time, I felt my creativity was over, so it was over. It was simple.”

Ashwin on farewell Test

The decision sparked debates about whether Ashwin deserved a farewell Test. Addressing this, he made it clear that a ceremonial exit was not his preference.

“What difference will this make if I came out with the ball and people are clapping? How long will people talk about it? When social media was not there, people talked about it and forgot after one week. There is no need for a farewell. The game has given us a lot, and we have played with a lot of happiness.

“I want to play more cricket. Where is the place? Obviously not in the Indian dressing room but from somewhere else… It is always better to finish when people ask ‘why’ and not ‘why not,’” he added.

Ashwin retires as India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests with 537 wickets in 106 matches, and 765 wickets across formats, a legacy matched only by the iconic Anil Kumble.