Congress MP Vijay Vasanth took to his official social media handle and urged Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to felicitate former Indian athlete Ravichandran Ashwin for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. Indian ace Ravichandran Ashwin announced his decision to retire from international cricket immediately after the Brisbane Test ended in a draw on Wednesday. “I have written to Honorable Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, requesting that R Ashwin be awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. His exceptional contribution to Indian cricket and outstanding achievements on the field make him truly deserving of this honour,” Vijay Vasanth wrote in his post on X.
Earlier on Wednesday, Ashwin appeared along with India captain Rohit Sharma at the post-match press conference to announce his decision. Rumors about his retirement began to grow when he became emotional and was hugged by Virat Kohli.
Ashwin played 106 Tests, taking a staggering 537 wickets, including 37 five-wicket hauls, and scored 3,503 runs. His contribution to Indian cricket goes far beyond these impressive statistics.
He is the seventh highest run-scorer in Test cricket history and the second highest run-scorer in India after Anil Kumble (619). He also holds the second-most five-wicket hauls in Tests behind Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan (67).
Ashwin was instrumental in India’s dominance in Test cricket, especially during its rise to the top between 2014 and 2019.
In limited overs cricket, Ashwin played 181 matches, taking 228 wickets. He appeared in 116 ODIs, taking 156 wickets with best figures of 4/25 and scoring 707 runs. In 65 T20I matches, he took 72 wickets with best figures of 4/8 and scored 184 runs.
With 765 international wickets across formats, Ashwin is India’s second-highest wicket-taker after Kumble (953). He was also part of India’s 2011 World Cup winning team and the 2013 Champions Trophy team.
Ashwin’s retirement marks the end of a remarkable era, leaving behind a legacy that will inspire future generations.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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