PM Modi Pens Letter For Retired R Ashwin: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has penned a heartfelt letter for former Indian Cricket Team spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from all international cricket earlier this week.
Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket after the third Australia vs India Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy played at the Gabba in Brisbane. After playing in the second Test of this series in Adelaide, a pink ball Test, the 38-year-old was dropped from the side for the third game.
Australia and India drew what was a rain-affected match in Brisbane. As the rains came in on the final day of the game, rumours circulated that ‘Anna’ was set to retire. Then, in the press conference immediately after the match was called off, Ashwin announced that he was retiring from international cricket.
The legendary spin all-rounder thanked his team, his captains, his former teammates, the media, his opposition, and the fans while making the announcement. He then flew back to India the very next day.
Since the announcement, the cricketing world has been showering Ashwin with praise and well wishes, reminiscing on his fantastic career and thanking him for the memories he gave all the fans.
PM Modi Pens Letter For Retired R Ashwin
Even people from outside the cricket circuit have been wishing the veteran bowler well, one of those being PM Modi. In a two-page letter sent to the cricketer’s home from the Prime Minister’s Office, the PM wrote how he, along with a lot of cricket fans, was taken aback by the retirement announcement, writing,
“The announcement of your retirement from international cricket surprised fans in India and across the world. At a time when everyone was looking forward to many more off-breaks, you bowled a carrom ball that bowled everyone. However, everyone understands that this must have been a hard decision for you as well, especially after the outstanding career you have had playing for India.”
Modi also recalled the many times Ashwin showed off his prowess as an all-rounder, like his marathon inning at Sydney in 2020 and the times he scored 100 and took five wickets in the same match.
“You have showcased your all-round prowess by scoring a century and taking five wickets in the same match many times. With the bat in hand, too, you have given our nation many memories, including the brave match-saving innings in Sydney in 2021. Often people are remembered for some wonderful shot that they played,” wrote the PM.
Check Out: PM Modi Pens Letter For Retired R Ashwin
The letter also mentioned Ashwin’s iconic leave, then a single in the famous India vs Pakistan match in the 2022 T20 World Cup; it read,
“But you have the unique distinction of being remembered for both a shot and a leave in the legendary match of the WT20 in 2022. Your winning shot elicited great cheers. The way you left the ball before it, allowing it on its way to becoming a wide ball, showed your presence of mind.”
Ravichandran Ashwin has taken 765 wickets in 297 international matches. In Test cricket alone, he took 537 wickets in 106 matches, making him the second-highest Indian wicket-taker in the format. In the letter front, the PM also mentioned Ashwin’s staggering records for India.
“Each one of the 765 international wickets that you took across all formats was special. Holding the record of having the highest number of Player of the Series awards in Test matches shows the impact you had on the team’s success in Tests over the last many years.”
Finally, the Prime Minister laid out how the world will miss and remember Ashwin and his ‘99’ number jersey.
“As you bid farewell to international cricket, jersey number 99 will be sorely missed. Cricket lovers will miss the sense of expectation they felt when you took to the crease to bowl—there was always a feeling that you were weaving a web around the opponents that would trap a victim any moment. You possessed an uncanny ability to outwit batsmen with good old off-spin as well as innovative variations, as the situation demanded,” the letter read.
Having retired from international cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin will continue to show off his skills in club cricket, especially the IPL and the TNPL, for years to come.
As for the Indian Cricket Team, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy stands at 1-1 after three matches. The remaining two India vs Australia Tests will be played in Melbourne and Sydney, respectively.
Check Out: PM Modi Pens Letter For Retired R Ashwin
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