"He has not yet announced his retirement from ODIs" - Former RCB cricketer's stunning statement on R Ashwin

Former Team India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel recently made a cheeky remark on spin legend R Ashwin's retirement. The veteran off-spinner drew the curtains on his Indian Premier League (IPL) career last month.

Ashwin previously retired from international cricket in December 2024 amid India's Border-Gavaskar Test series against Australia. Parthiv joked that the ace spinner has yet to make an announcement about his ODI future.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the cricketer-turned-commentator said (at 4:13):

"He has retired from Test cricket and T20 cricket, but he has not yet announced his retirement from ODIs."

Parthiv noted that Ashwin added several variations to his arsenal during his illustrious cricketing career. However, he expressed surprise that the 38-year-old had not decided to bowl left-arm spin at some point.

"The way he tried to explore in different ways is something to learn from Ravichandran Ashwin. With the amount of time I've spent with him, I've seen him bowl off spin, leg spin, carrom ball, and everything, but I'm surprised that he didn't bowl left-arm leg spin. I thought he might as well try that too, at some point," Parthiv said (at 3:33).

It is worth noting that Ashwin is India's second-highest wicket-taker in international cricket, just behind Anil Kumble (953 wickets from 499 innings). He finished his career with 765 wickets across 379 innings. He now plans to play in overseas T20 leagues following his IPL retirement.

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"The best example of self-belief" - Parthiv Patel lauds R Ashwin's glorious career

Pathiv Patel further stated that R Ashwin had great self-belief. He noted that the bowler constantly tried to add new tricks up his sleeve to remain a step ahead of the batters.

He added in the same video (at 3:07):

"Ravichandran Ashwin was the best example of self-belief. As his career progressed, he tried new things and experimented a lot. He used the carrom ball very effectively. I still remember how he bowled Hashim Amla with the carrom ball at the 2016 T20 World Cup. He was an example of maximizing one's ability."

R Ashwin was part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp in the inaugural edition of the IPL. He spent eight years with the franchise before moving to teams like the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals.

The 2025 edition marked a homecoming for Ashwin as CSK signed him at ₹9.75 crore at the mega auction. He bagged 187 wickets from 217 innings in his IPL career and is currently the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the league's history.