Gautam Gambhir's challenger for India Head Coach claims sensational conspiracy behind Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement

Former India batter WV Raman backed Ravichandran Ashwin’s decision to retire after the third Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). WV Raman said that it's not the first time this has happened in the middle of the series, adding that players retire when they feel they’ve had enough.

Ravichandran Ashwin surprised the cricket world by announcing his retirement from international cricket on December 18. Ashwin played 106 Tests, 116 ODIs, and 65 T20Is, taking 537, 156, and 72 wickets, respectively. He was also part of India’s 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy-winning teams.

WV Raman Backs Ravichandran Ashwin's Mid-Series Retirement

Some experts have questioned the timing of Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement with two Tests remaining in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but WV Raman backed the decision. Raman pointed out that many cricketers have retired mid-series before.

“I think there has been an instance before when a cricketer retired during a series. It’s not the first time this has happened. Secondly, a cricketer retires when he feels that he’s had enough," Raman told PTI during an interaction.

There’s No Saying When This Snap Happens - WV Raman

WV Raman, who as a coach worked with a young 20-year-old Ravichandran Ashwin making his Tamil Nadu debut, said that a cricketer may not know exactly when they will decide to retire, but one day, they simply feel that they can't continue with the routine of training and playing.

“It’s all a case of things slowing down in one’s mind or suddenly a cricketer gets a feeling that oh, enough! I can’t really go through this routine of getting up or training, going to the ground, doing things over and over again.

“There’s no saying as to when suddenly this snap happens in the mind. But when that happens, that’s when a cricketer decides to call it a day," Raman said.

He Has Been Around for a Long Time - WV Raman

The 59-year-old defended Ravichandran Ashwin's decision to retire, adding that his nature might have made it difficult for him to remain in the team without making a significant contribution. Raman pointed out that he has been around for a long time in his illustrious career.

“He has been around for a long, long time. Perhaps, he must have felt that if he’s not going to really make any difference or make any contribution, there’s no point in hanging around.

“Let’s face it for somebody who has been as combative and as competitive as Ashwin has been, and for a match-winner that he’s been over a long period of time, it’s not a great situation to be thinking in his mind “To be or not to be", what is better."

Ashwin was included in the squad for the pink-ball Test in Adelaide but was excluded from the playing XI in the first Test in Perth and the third Test match in Brisbane. The rain-affected Gabba Test concluded in a draw, and the Boxing Day Test is scheduled to commence in Melbourne on December 26.

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