‘This Could Be My Last World Cup For India…’: Ravichandran Ashwin Hints At Retirement In Limited-Over Formats

There are plans for veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin to return to the World Cup battlefield. Following Axar Patel's untimely absence from action due to a quadricep strain, Ashwin was thrust back into the limelight when he was included in India's World Cup roster of fifteen players.

The 37-year-old Ashwin, who just showed off his skills in the first two ODIs of the series against Australia, thought back on the surprising development.

Before India's opening practise match against the reigning champions England, Ashwin stated in a pre-game interview that he hopes to enjoy the competition because it might be his final World Cup for his country. 

"Enjoying this tournament and being in a good place will help me." "Enjoying the World Cup is of utmost importance, as this could be my final World Cup for India," Ashwin told Star Sports. 

Many were taken aback by Ashwin's selection to the team, even the spinner himself. 

"I would have assumed you were making a joke. Life has many unexpected turns. To be honest, I never expected to be here. I am here now because of circumstances and the team management's trust," he continued.

With ten World Cup matches under his belt, Ashwin's most recent appearance was in 2015. With 17 wickets in the competition at an average of 24.88 and an economy rate of 4.36, he has an outstanding record. His best performance, 4/25, came in the 2015 ODI World Cup match against the UAE.

Ashwin is the only current Indian player who participated in the victorious World Cup campaign of 2011, aside from Virat Kohli.Ashwin understood how crucial it was to manage pressure in competitions with such large stakes. 

Turning the ball both ways is all you can do, and I believe I can pull it off. In these kinds of competitions, handling pressure is critical and will determine the outcome," the off-spinner highlighted.

Following a spell away from ODIs, wherein the Indian squad experimented with other spin options, Ashwin is back. Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector for India, clarified that although Ashwin was a possibility, Axar was first chosen by the selectors and team management because of his batting depth.

But injuries and other events brought about Ashwin's comeback. Prior to India's third ODI match against Australia, captain Rohit Sharma emphasised Ashwin's class and experience as crucial qualities. 

"Ashwin possesses the necessary class, has played the sport before, and can handle pressure. Just that he hasn't participated in ODIs in around a year. However, you cannot take away from a person's class and experience gained through time, and we saw how brilliantly he bowled in the previous few games [against Australia]. "He has numerous variations up his sleeve," Rohit remarked.

In the three-match ODI series that India won 2-1 over Australia, Washington Sundar and Ravichandran Ashwin both recovered. After an 18-month break, Ashwin made his ODI cricket comeback with this.