Ravichandran Ashwin proudly says he answered the call of cricket after concluding his storied career in India.

The 38-year-old off-spinner announced his retirement from international cricket after a brilliant 14-year career in which he took 765 wickets in all formats of international cricket and became the seventh-ever High Test wicket taker.

Exclusive statement Sky Sports Cricket PodcastAshwin revealed that his deep-rooted passion for cricket has not only improved him as a player but also given meaning to his life.

“Even though I knew it wasn’t the popular or accepted approach, I tried my best,” he said. “My journey is entirely my own.

“Over the years I have seen many cricketers with extraordinary skills and talents, but the ability to express or teach others is very unique and is only recognized when one has explored it themselves.

“The amount of exploration I had to do in order to be successful gave me a wide variety of knowledge and I can confidently say that this is a game that I enjoy, explore and brutally talk about for the rest of my time .my life.

“I have no regrets because I had to do it the hard way, but it made me feel like the game was my calling. People find their calling at different stages in life, but I’m so happy with this game It found me and it gave my life meaning.

“I’ve been playing cricket for so long and it’s even taught me how to build and live. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Ashwin announces retirement India draw with Australia in Brisbane Testone game in which he was not selected.

He revealed that he considered retiring, but ultimately made the decision when his creativity stopped working.

The cricketer in me isn’t done yet and I do imagine doing a lot more in the coming years. The tag of being an Indian cricketer can be overwhelming. None of this is a burden to me now and I can explore more over the next few years as my body allows.

“I’ve never been a stickler, I’ve never felt unsafe in my life,” he added. “I don’t believe that what’s mine today will be mine tomorrow. That’s probably one of the uplifting factors for me over the years.

“I always try to put things as lightly as possible because I don’t believe people celebrate me and I don’t believe we get the spotlight sometimes in India. The sport is always in front of me and everything time.

“I did think about (retirement) a few times. For me, the day I woke up and realized my creativity had no future or direction, that’s the day I gave it up. I suddenly felt like there wasn’t much left in me creatively. Advantages worth exploring.”

Ashwin, who ended his career as India’s second-highest Test wicket-taker (537) and hit 6,014 half-centuries, recalled a watershed moment during England’s tour of India in 2012, which Helped mold him into the player he became.

In the second Test in Mumbai, Ashwin took figures of 2-145 and was bowled by Kevin Pietersen, who top-scored with 186 as England finished with 10 at the Wankhede Stadium A wicket win to level the series.

This left an indelible mark on Ashwin and he added: “I have one regret in my life. I know KP is a very proud man and I saw him talking a lot about how he beat us in Mumbai matter.”

“Early in my career, during my formative years, problems with technology set me on the path to excellence.

“I’ve wanted to take on KP every time since then. He’s a great batsman, but I like any player who doesn’t have a really sound defense because I’m very good at picking out guys who walk out, guys who sweep.

“In that series against KP and Alastair Cook (one of the best batsmen I have ever bowled against), my form was really bad. My left leg was stretched out too far to As for me not being able to maintain the correct length at all.

“Since 2012, and for the rest of my career, it’s been all about finding different solutions. I’m so grateful for the development of this series because if it hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t have put myself on this path. Become a great bowler, because to be a great bowler, it’s about the inside, not the outside.”

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