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Calling his retirement a ‘sense of relief and satisfaction’, Ravichandran Ashwin urged his fans and followers not to be surprised, as the ace off-spinner plans to continue playing in domestic and club cricket for as long as he can. After announcing his retirement on Wednesday, following India's draw against Australia in the third Test in Brisbane, Ashwin returned home to Chennai on Thursday, where he was given a rousing welcome by his family and friends.
Ashwin's sudden retirement came as a shock to many, including fans and experts. However, the 38-year-old will continue playing domestic cricket for Tamil Nadu and represent Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL), after the five-time champions bought him in the mega auction last month.
Upon his return to Chennai, Ashwin received a traditional welcome, with fans gathering in front of his residence. He first hugged his parents before others began showering him with flowers.
Speaking to the reporters, Ashwin said, “I am going to play for CSK and don't be surprised if I try and aspire to play for as long as I can. I don't think Ashwin, the cricketer, is done; I think Ashwin, the Indian cricketer, has probably called it time. That's it.”
Asked whether the retirement decision was emotional for him, Ashwin said, “It's not." He added that although retirement was running on his head for some time but the decision came very instinctively.
“It's emotional for a lot of people. It will be emotional; maybe it will sink in. But for me, it's a great sense of relief and satisfaction...It had been running in my head for a while, but it was very instinctive. I felt it on day 4 and called it on day 5,” he concluded.
Ashwin's retirement was on the cards after the veteran off-spinner was caught emotional on camera with Virat Kohli by his side. Later on the day, he accompanied captain Rohit Sharma in the post-match press conference to break the news.
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