'What's the need to bring Washington?': Ravichandran Ashwin felt insulted by Gautam Gambhir & Co.

Former India National Cricket Team player Manoj Tiwary has shared his views on the sudden retirement of the legendary off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

Manoj Tiwary is of the opinion that the Gautam Gambhir-led team management insulted the veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin by bringing in a young spinner like Washington Sundar into the playing XI and handing him over more responsibility.

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When did Ravichandran Ashwin retire from international cricket?

Ashwin shocked the cricket world after the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, which was played at the Gabba in Brisbane.

On December 18, 2024, he came to attend a press conference along with skipper Rohit Sharma and announced his retirement from international cricket. He also clarified that he still has hunger and will continue to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the next few years.

Ashwin ended his international career as one of the greatest Test players in the history of Indian cricket. Overall, he played 106 Tests, 116 ODIs, and 65 T20s for India.

In Test cricket, he finished with 537 wickets, which is second only to Anil Kumble's 619 wickets. With the bat as well, he was exceptional as he slammed 3503 runs at an average of 25.75, including 6 centuries. Ashwin was also named in the ICC Men's Test Team of the Year five times and the ICC Men's Test Team of the Decade 2011–20.

Ravichandran Ashwin was insulted - Manoj Tiwary

In an interview with PTI, Manoj Tiwary reckoned that Ashwin was mishandled by the Indian team management and he felt insulted seeing a new face coming in the playing XI despite being in his prime form.

"Ashwin was insulted. See players like Washington Sundar and Tanush Kotian... they are all quality spinners and performed well in first-class cricket," Tiwary said.

"But when you have a player of Ashwin's calibre, what is the need for you to bring in Washington in the home series where Ashwin is there, Jadeja is there, and Kuldeep is there, and make him bowl more overs than Ashwin? Is that not an insult to Ashwin?" questioned Tiwary.

One day he will definitely come out and he will share his experience - Manoj Tiwary

Tiwary further said that Ashwin is a 'nice guy' and he won't reveal everything that happened behind the scenes, but in the future, those details will definitely come out.

"Will he just carry on, after giving so many match-winning performances? He will not come and say that because he is a nice guy," Manoj Tiwary said.

"But one day he will definitely come out and he will share his experience. This is not the right process. They are also players, and they also need some patting on the back and dignity as well," Tiwary concluded.

Meanwhile, Manoj Tiwary has become the talk of the town with his recent statements on India head coach Gautam Gambhir, where he accused Gambhir of taking undue credit for Kolkata Knight Riders' success and he also claimed that there is a rift between the head coach and India skipper Rohit Sharma.