Cricket Guru Ashwin: India Must Squeeze in a Super Over for Victory!

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has supported head India men's cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir, saying his approach puts the team ahead of individuals, while also speaking about his retirement, his time with India cricket team, and the current state of Test cricket. Speaking at RevSportz’s Trailblazers, Ashwin said he sensed the end of his Test career during the opening match of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series in Perth. "At Perth (the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25), I was the senior bowler.

Washi played that Test, and I realised that my time was up," he said. After the second Test in Brisbane, a pink-ball match where he scored 22 and 7 and took a wicket, Ashwin retired from international cricket. He finished with 765 wickets across formats for India and scored 4,394 runs, including six centuries and 15 fifties in 233 innings.

He was part of India’s 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy winning squads, ending a career that spanned 15 years. His decision to retire, followed by exits of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after the same series, led to criticism of the team management. Gambhir faced reactions on social media amid suggestions that senior players were pushed towards retirement.

Ashwin rejected that view and backed the coach. "I like Gautam, and many people may have different opinions about him, but he is someone who always puts the team ahead of individuals," Ashwin said. "He credits the team, not individuals, and that's something I admire," he added.