R Ashwin has been a crisis man, saved Team India many times: Syed Kirmani
Dec 18, 2024
Belagavi (Karnataka) [India], December 18 : Former cricketer Syed Kirmani on Wednesday showered praise on Ravichandran Ashwin and said that he has been a crisis man and saved Team India many times from defeats.
Ashwin's announcement came as a surprise to many when he walked out with India captain Rohit Sharma to declare his retirement. Fans had been speculating about a major announcement after cameras captured a heartfelt moment between Ashwin and Virat Kohli on the final day of the Test.
An emotional Ashwin was seen embraced by Kohli, making it evident that significant news was imminent following the conclusion of the match.
Since the announcement, well-wishers have been flooding in, celebrating Ashwin's illustrious career.
Speaking to ANI, Syed Kirmani who was one of the crucial figures in India's 1983 World Cup lauded Ashwin for his "strong-willed, total grit, never say die" attitude. He added that Ashwin has been a great all-rounder from whom Team India benefited.
"He has been a very strong-willed, total grit, never say die attitude, very disciple, very dedicated and determined cricketer. A great all-rounder from which the Indian team has been benefited. He has been a crisis man many times, saved Indian Team from defeats and took them towards the road of victory. So, of course, everybody has to retire at some stage or the other... there's a limit for everybody's tenure in whatever field they are in...," Syed Kirmani told ANI.
Ashwin made his Test debut in 2011 against the West Indies, excelling in red-ball cricket, which became his forte. He played 106 Tests, taking an impressive 537 wickets, including 37 five-wicket hauls, and scored 3,503 runs.
Against Australia, Ashwin played 23 matches, claiming 115 wickets at an economy rate of 2.71.
The 38-year-old also holds the record for the most wickets taken in a single Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, with 29 dismissals in the 2020-21 edition of the prestigious contest.
Ashwin's name is etched in record books, with achievements that will be hard to surpass. He is the fastest Indian to reach 350 Test wickets and ranks as India's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests, with 537 wickets at an economy rate of 2.83.
