Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin brings a wealth of experience to the table whenever he is picked for India. Despite being in his late 30s, Ashwin continues to be part of global tournaments, like the ODI World Cup 2023 and the T20 World Cup 2022, among others. He forms a lethal spin attack alongside Ravindra Jadeja, especially in the Test format. However, the spin wizard has dropped a hint about his retirement plans.
Ravichandran Ashwin opened up on his retirement plans in a YouTube video. He stated that he found himself in a 'dark space' and even went for mental health support. "I am not being diplomatic, but for four to five years (since 2019), I found myself in a very dark space in life, and took help for mental health as well. In the dark space, I realised I have to be ready for any eventuality," he said.
"I have been preparing for life after cricket for five years. But I continued to work hard on my cricket; to contribute with the bat, I went to the USA and practised baseball," Ashwin added.
Ashwin stated that the day he loses his motivation to play, he will call it time on his career. "The day I lose this motivation, I feel irritated about waking up in the morning to bowl or bat, I know it is over. I will then quit immediately, say thanks to all and go on to the next chapter in life," he said.
The 37-year-old stated that he is looking for post-retirement career options. "I am searching for something to do beyond cricket. I am interested in marketing and a lot of other things. But even if nothing else, I can't stop watching cricket. I am a cricket-tragic. I will do something in cricket and something other than that," the all-rounder added.
