Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from international cricket after the Gabba Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, credited Test cricket for shaping his life. 

“I’m so glad that this game found me and it’s given me the meaning to life. I’ve learned every single day,” Ashwin told Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton during the Sky Sports podcast on December 23 (Monday).

“I played Test cricket for so long it’s even taught me how to construct my life, how to live my life and it’s the most beautiful thing that’s happened for me,” added the 38-year-old. 

Ashwin, who started as an opening batter and later became one of the best off-spinners to have graced the field of cricket with not only 537 wickets and 37 five-wicket hauls, but with the way he troubled and tested the batters in every condition and situation, said that he gave it all because he was not a gifted cricketer like many others.

“I just give it all despite knowing it’s not the popular method, despite knowing that’s not going to be the accepted method because my journey is just completely mine,” the off-spinner said about his methodic approach to the game where he experimented with his bowling all the time to just keep the batters on their toes. 

Ashwin also said that had he not explored the game, he would have been lost in a melee of millions. 

“I’ve seen a lot of cricketers over the years with exceptional skill and talent, but the ability to be able to articulate that or to be able to teach another person about it is very unique. 

“It comes across to people only if they’ve explored themselves and for me for the kind of love that I have for this game, the amount of exploration I have had to do to be very successful has left me today with a wide variety of knowledge to be able to say with confidence that this is a game I loved, this is a game I explored and this is a game I can talk about for the rest of my life.”

Ashwin, who had a hip injury and was thrown out of the Tamil Nadu age group team at 13, said that he had no regrets about whatever happened during his career. 

“I’ve got no regrets for it because I’ve had to do it the hard way but it’s left me with the whole idea of telling me that this is the game and that’s been my calling but I am glad the game found me,” he said.