The Test retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continue to be debated, with R. Ashwin now hinting at head coach Gautam Gambhir's potential role in the senior players moving on. Ashwin also explains his own decision to retire, attributing it to his sense that the team was heading in a new direction and it was time to make way for others.
The Test retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two of India’s batting stalwarts, continue to be debated, though it’s nearly a year since they moved on from the longest format of the game. Rohit and Kohli, five days apart, announced their retirements from red-ball cricket ahead of India’s squad announcement for the five-match Test series against England in May.
The news of the former Indian captains’ calling it quits from Test cricket sparked a widespread discussion on social media, with the fans and experts questioning the timing of their retirements. Rohit Sharma retired right after he was sacked as Test captain following a series whitewash against New Zealand in November 2025 and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy defeat to Australia in January last year.
Virat Kohli, on the other hand, bid adieu to his illustrious Test career after a moderate Test series against Australia, where he scored just 190 runs, including a century, at an average of 23.75 in nine innings, as his prolonged dip in form further fueled the debate around the timing of his retirement.
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R Ashwin Hinted at Gambhir’s Role in Ro-Ko Retirement
The Test retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli came as a surprise to many, including fans and experts, as speculation grew that the decision was entirely personal or influenced by the team management’s long-term vision under head coach Gautam Gambhir. 10 months later, Ravichandran Ashwin dropped a major hint that Gambhir may have played a role in shaping the decision for senior players to move on from Test cricket.
Speaking at RevSportz’s Trailblazers 4.0 event, Ashwin stated that Gambhir was simply doing his job as head coach, adding that he may have felt certain senior players, including himself, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, needed to move on for the team’s future.
“Gautam, the coach, has a job to do for me in many ways, and even if he thought that I must move on or Virat must move on or Rohit must move on, it's okay; it's fine because he has a job to do,” the 39-year-old said.
“And at that particular instance, if I felt bitter about it, that's also okay because it's my emotion. But if you detach yourself from that, it's clear to me that he has a job to do, and maybe I do not have a future in his regime," he added.
Ravichandran Ashwin retired from his illustrious international career after the third Test at the Gabba in Brisbane was ended in a draw. Ashwin was not picked in the opening Test in Perth before being included in the playing XI for the Pink Ball Test at Adelaide Oval, but dropped again for the third Test in Brisbane.
Also Read: Ashwin hails Gambhir's team-first approach, reflects on retirement
Ashwin On His Own Retirement Decision
Just like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s retirement from Tests, Ravichandran Ashwin’s decision to step away from international cricket came as a surprise to many, as the veteran off-spinner chose to call time on his career midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Speaking on his retirement, Ashwin stated that he trusted his own decision and retiring on his own terms after sensing that the team was moving in a different direction and it was time to make way for others.
“One of my strongest assets, I feel, is my ability to make decisions. Whether it's right or wrong is for people to debate. But at the end of the day, it's my life. I need to do it on my terms. The moment, I think, at Perth, when we had Jaddu and me as the lead spinners in the side, and Washy played that game in Perth, and then the next game, again, I came in, and then I had to again make way, was kind of suggestive or indicative to me that my time was up,” the veteran Indian spinner said.
“And if somebody else had to come and take up that place, by all means, they need their space and time. And I'm not one of those guys who will hang around, you know, wanting to see if I can make a comeback. I've had far too many. I've come far, far too much in my life to be able to, you know, dilly-dally around with all those things," Ashwin added.
R Ashwin retired from international cricket as the second-highest wicket-taker for India in Tests with 537 wickets and also scored 3503, including six centuries. Additionally, Ashwin is the second-leading wicket-taker for India across all formats, taking 765 wickets, including 156 and 72 in ODIs and T20Is, respectively.
‘Still In The Process of Shedding Ego’
Further speaking about his retirement, R Ashwin admitted that while he has already tried to shed his ego, the immense adulation cricketers receive can create a sense of invincibility, but detaching from it helps bring clarity and acceptance.
“I have always wanted to shed ego as the first thing in my life, and I'm still in the process of shedding ego. We all are human beings. It comes to us,” Ashwin added.
“But if you detach yourself, things do make sense. Sometimes, because of the adulation we get in this country, we do end up thinking that we are invincible, which is not the case," he added.
Ravichandran Ashwin also retired from IPL after playing for Chennai Super Kings in the previous season, marking the end of his journey in the tournament. Since he retired from his international and IPL career, Ashwin is no longer obligated to the BCCI’s restriction on participation in the overseas T20 leagues.
Ashwin signed with Sydney Thunder for the Big Bash League season 2024/25, but had to be ruled out due to a knee injury, for which he underwent surgery.
