Rajiv Shukla, Lalchand Rajput, Arvind Kejriwal appreciate R Ashwin’s contribution to Test Cricket

New Delhi [India], December 18 (ANI): The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajiv Shukla, former Indian Cricket team coach Lalchand Rajput and Aam Aadmi (AAP) Convenor Arvind Kejriwal heaped praise for off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s “invaluable” contribution fr team India over the years across formats.

India’s decorated off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin announced his decision to retire from international cricket moments after the Brisbane Test ended in a draw.

The BCCI vice-president called Ashwin a “great bowler” and said that everyone should HAILED HIS contribution to Indian cricket.

“Today, R Ashwin has announced his retirement. His contribution to world cricket, and Indian cricket is immense. This should be appreciated by everyone. BCCI also appreciates it and always salutes his contribution to world cricket as well as Indian cricket, particularly domestic cricket. He is a great bowler, he has got immense potential as far as the game is concerned. So, I wish him the best for his future endeavours,” Rajiv Shukla said while speaking to ANI.

Further, former India Coach Lalchand Rajput said that Ashwin was the “flag bearer” for Team India in the spin bowling for over a decade.

“It’s very sad to see that Ashwin has taken retirement from international cricket. He is one of the best spin bowlers that India had. He was the Indian flag bearer in the spin bowling for more than a decade. His ambition to play Test cricket was phenomenal plus he wanted to adjust to the shorter format as well. He could bat in the lower order which has six hundreds which shows the calibre of Ashwin as a team player in both batting and bowling. He has given invaluable contributions to Team India. I wish him all the very best and am sure in the second innings, he will do many things that will give him happiness,” the 62-year-old said in an exclusive interview with ANI.

Arvind Kejriwal took to his official media handle and congratulated the veteran Indian cricketer for his illustrious career in the longest format of the game.

“Congratulations on an illustrious career, @ashwinravi99. You’ve been a true champion of the game, making India proud with your brilliance. Wishing you all the best as you turn the page to a new chapter,” the 56-year-old wrote in a post on X.

Earlier, R Ashwin came into the post-match press conference with India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, to announce his decision. The anticipation around Ashwin’s retirement started to build up when he was visibly emotional and was hugged by Virat Kohli.

He featured in 106 Tests, picked up a whopping 537 wickets, including 37 five-wicket hauls, and amassed 3,503 runs. One can even argue that his contributions to Indian cricket are far greater than just what those staggering numbers indicate.

The crafty spinner is the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Tests overall and second-highest for India behind legendary spinner Anil Kumble (619 scalps). He also has 2nd most five-wicket hauls in Tests, behind Sri Lankan spin icon Muttiah Muralitharan (67).

With Ashwin stepping down from the international stage, he is truly leaving behind a tremendous legacy and massive boots to fill for the youngsters who will come in to make up for his presence.

Ashwin spearheaded the bowling attack and was a major face behind India’s rise to the top and eventual domination in Test cricket that lasted from 2014 to 2019.

When one turns to look at his dominance in the home conditions, he was a phenom. His expertise wasn’t just limited to the ball but also some impactful contributions with the bat.

In the white-ball format, Ashwin made 181 appearances and snatched 228 wickets. He made 116 ODI appearances and took 156 wickets at an average of 33.20, with best figures of 4/25. He also made 707 runs at an average of 16.44, with one fifty, a knock of 65 in 63 innings. He is the 13th-highest wicket-taker in ODIs for India.

In 65 T20Is, he took 72 wickets at an average of 23.22. His best figures are 4/8. He also scored 184 runs in 19 innings at an average of 26.28, with best score of 31. He is the sixth-highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is.

With 765 scalps in 287 matches, he is India’s second-highest wicket-taker across all formats, next to Kumble (953). He also won the 2011 50-Over World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy with India.