Ravichandran Ashwin‘s international retirement midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 took fellow cricketers, former cricketers, experts and fans by surprise, and 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev was seemingly one of them. Ashwin’s retirement led to a lot of speculation on why he had hastily called time, although the spinner himself reiterated that it was his own choice. However, reflecting on Ashwin’s retirement, Kapil Dev has opined that while Ashwin is a strong-headed individual, he could’ve taken a different decision.

Asked on the issue of Ashwin’s retirement by Gulf News, Kapil Dev said:

“Ashwin is a very strong-headed guy. I like to see this kind of character in cricketers. I felt a little sad when he left in the middle of the tour. He is a great cricketer whom India produced and served the game so well, but he could have waited and done it differently. Nevertheless, what he did for the country is unbelievable. Sad he’s gone.”

One of India and world cricket’s greatest-ever spinners, Ashwin retired with 537 wickets in 106 Test matches. Statistically, he retired as India’s second-most successful bowler in Test cricket and international cricket overall.

Kapil Dev’s sadness at Ashwin’s retirement does not come as a surprise. Kapil had taken time out to personally call Ashwin following his retirement, as shared by the latter on his social media.

Kapil and Sachin Tendulkar were among the cricket icons who reached out to Ashwin after his retirement, and the spinner showed them his gratitude.

“If someone told me 25 years ago that I would have a smartphone with me and the call log on the last day of my career as an Indian cricketer would look like this, I would have had a heart attack then only. Thanks Sachin and Kapil paaji,” Ashwin had tweeted.

Kapil, on his part, is India’s third-most successful Test wicket-taker (434) and the most successful among fast bowlers.