R Ashwin reveals truth behind test retirement, says Gambhir and Rohit...

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has dismissed rumours that his retirement from international cricket was influenced by Rohit Sharma or Gautam Gambhir. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin clarified that his decision to step away from the game was entirely personal and made on his own terms.

Ashwin, who announced his retirement midway through the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, said, “No one told me to go. In fact, two or three people, including Rohit Sharma and Gauti bhai, advised me not to take the decision. They wanted me to continue playing.”

Also Read: R Ashwin makes shocking revelation, wanted to retire after...

‘Retirement Is a Personal Choice’

The 38-year-old spinner stressed that retirement is a deeply individual matter. “The decision is very personal. These are all very individual calls,” he said, also confirming that he did not have any extensive discussions with India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar before announcing it.

Ashwin also retired from the Indian Premier League in August 2025, further reinforcing that the move was not due to external pressure.

A New Era for Indian Test Cricket

Ashwin’s retirement marked the end of an era for India’s spin department and coincided with major changes in the Test team. Soon after, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepped away from the format, paving the way for Shubman Gill to take over as Test captain.

Under Gill’s leadership, India held England to a 2-2 draw and began their new World Test Championship cycle with a dominant win over West Indies, with Kuldeep Yadav, Jadeja, and Washington Sundar excelling in Ashwin’s absence.