Ravichandran Ashwin’s wife Prithi Narayanan shared an emotional post after his sudden decision to retire from international cricket, saying that now is the time to shed the burden of who you are and embrace life beyond sports.
Ashwin surprised the cricket world by announcing his retirement after the third Test against Australia in Brisbane. This experienced off-spinner had taken one wicket in the Adelaide Test in which India had to face defeat by ten wickets.
Terming her post as a ‘love letter from a fan’, Prithvi wrote on Instagram, “Dear Ashwin, from not knowing how to put together a kit bag to following you in stadiums across the world, cheering for you, watching you and loving you. Learning, it has all been an absolute joy for me. The world you introduced me to has given me the privilege of seeing and enjoying a sport I love up close.
He further wrote, “It also showed me how much passion, hard work and discipline is required to reach a destination. And sometimes even this is not enough. I remember we were talking about why you, R Ashwin, had to do all this and more to remain relevant in the system.
Ashwin, who made his debut in 2011 against West Indies, has always had a desire to achieve excellence. He took 537 wickets in Test cricket. Prithi wrote, “Awards, great stats, player of the match awards, accolades mean nothing if you don’t constantly strive to improve your skills and don’t work hard enough.” Sometimes everything is not enough.
She wrote, “When you are taking leave from your international career, I just want to tell you that everything is good.” It will be better in future also. Now you have to remove the burden of your existence. Live life your way, make room for more calories and spend time with family. Do nothing all day, share memes, find a new ball, spend time with kids. Do all this.
Prithi said, “When I saw Ashwin’s press conference, I remembered all the big and small moments. Last 13. Memories of 14 years. Big wins, Player of the Series awards, silence in our room after a close match, hearing the shower running longer than usual in the evening after a match, the scratch of a pencil after writing down your thoughts on paper, strategy. Constantly watching video footage while preparing, meditative breathing silence before every match, listening to some songs on repeat in my free time…”
He wrote, “When we cried with joy…after the Champions Trophy final, after the win at the MCG, after the draw in Sydney, after the win at the Gabba, after the comeback in T20. The times when we sat together in silence and the times when our hearts were broken.
