India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extolled Ravichandran Ashwin for his “outstanding” international career for the Men in Blue. PM Modi has paid a fitting tribute to the spin wizard by writing a two-page-long letter, highlighting Ashwin’s commitment to the country across the three formats of the game.
PM Modi confessed that Ashwin’s sudden retirement came across as a shock to him too, and compared it to one of his potent weapons – the carrom ball.
“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,” an excerpt from the letter read.
PM Modi heaped praise on the 38-year-old bowling allrounder for his commitment to Team India and for winning numerous matches for the nation across formats.
“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 which would trap a victim any moment.
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“You possessed an uncanny ability to outwit batsmen with good old off-spin as well as innovative variations, as the situation demanded. 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,” the letter read further.
Notably, Ashwin announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket at the end of the Gabba Test in Brisbane on December 18. However, he will still be seen in action in the domestic circuit and will play for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the forthcoming edition of the IPL.
