'Leave him alone': Ravichandran Ashwin reacts to father's 'humiliation was going on' remark

Following his father's surprising revelation on Thursday, Ravichandran Ashwin has taken to his official social media account to clarify his sudden retirement from international cricket. Ashwin's unexpected decision came after the drawn third Test against Australia in Brisbane, leaving both fans and pundits in disbelief.

Ashwin's father was taken aback by the spinner's sudden retirement, using the word 'humiliation' to express his surprise. He mentioned, “I too came to know at the last minute. The way in which he gave that (retirement), there could be many reasons. Only Ashwin knows, maybe humiliation.” 

The statement sparked widespread discussion on social media. However, Ashwin believes there is little substance to dissect further.

“My dad isn’t media trained, dey father enna da ithelaam. I never thought you would follow this rich tradition of “dad statements”. Request you all to forgive him and leave him alone,” Ashwin wrote on X.

My dad isn’t media trained, dey father enna da ithelaam 

I never thought you would follow this rich tradition of “dad statements” .

Request you all to forgive him and leave him alone  https://t.co/Y1GFEwJsVc

— Ashwin  (@ashwinravi99) December 19, 2024

Throughout the current tour of Australia, Washington Sundar was selected over the experienced off-spinner with 537 Test wickets for the first Test in Perth, and later secured a spot in the eleven for the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide. Despite this, Ashwin found himself on the bench once again for the third Test at the 'Gabba', with Ravindra Jadeja taking his place in the match.

Ashwin's father had mentioned that the family had been anticipating Ashwin's retirement for some time due to ongoing humiliation, although he did not disclose the specific details.

“The sudden change – retirement – gave us a shock. We were expecting it because humiliation was going on. How long he can tolerate all those things? Probably, he would have decided on his own,” he had said.

For those who may not be aware, Ashwin announced on Wednesday (December 18) that his 14-year career with the Indian cricket team has come to an end. The 38-year-old made this announcement during a press conference following the conclusion of the third Test between India and Australia at the Gabba.

Ashwin holds the distinction of being India's second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, having taken 537 wickets. Additionally, he ranks second among Indian bowlers with the most wickets in all formats of international cricket, with a total of 765 wickets to his name.

Also read| Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma’s conflicting opinions on R Ashwin’s retirement spark confusion