Exclusive | Unfortunate that ‘modern-day legend’ Ashwin never captained India: Sunil Joshi

Many were surprised by Ravichandran Ashwin’s sudden retirement from international cricket during the Australia tour. But former India all-rounder Sunil Joshi feels otherwise and says his decision should be respected.

Joshi, who is currently the head coach of Uttar Pradesh, in an exclusive chat with The Federal, hailed Ashwin as a “modern-day legend” and a “champion cricketer” and termed it unfortunate that he was not made India captain in Tests.

“R Ashwin is a champion cricketer. I am not surprised with his retirement because he is very matured and knows exactly what he wants to do. He has been a wonderful servant for Indian cricket, especially in Tests. He has remarkable numbers. I would say he is a modern-day legend. There is no doubt about it. We should respect his decision,” Joshi, a former BCCI chief selector, told The Federal.

Also read: Exclusive: Spin legend EAS Prasanna on Ashwin's retirement

“It is up to the individual to decide whether he wants to continue playing or not. I am sure he would have had a chat with Gautam (Gambhir), captain (Rohit Sharma), seniors and the rest of the team management. Ashwin is not getting younger, he is 38. He has proved himself, has been well-respected in all cricket-playing countries,” Joshi, who played 15 Tests and 69 ODIs for India, added.

'Ashwin among India's top five spinners of all time'

The 38-year-old Ashwin, India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests with 537 scalps, bid adieu to international cricket after the Brisbane Test in Australia on December 18. This came as a shock for his fans, and he had followed his former captain MS Dhoni, who too had retired from Tests in the middle of the Australia Test series, in December 2014.

Apart from being India’s premier off-spinner in Test cricket, Ashwin had also excelled in the other two formats of the games – ODIs and T20Is. He was part of the 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy-winning teams. He was also a more than a handy lower-order batter, scoring six Test centuries during his illustrious 106-match career.

Also read: Ashwin's records and numbers

When asked to rate Ashwin among India’s spin greats, Joshi put him in the top five of the all-time list. “The opposition had a lot of respect for Ashwin. He is one of the top five spinners of all time in India. I am not trying to compare him with anyone but looking at the modern-day requirements, competition, and skill sets, he is definitely in the top five.”

One of the best cricketing brains, Ashwin never got an opportunity to captain India in Test cricket, and Joshi said this was unfortunate.

“Unfortunately, he could not get the Indian captaincy. We have also had the example of, the best cricketing brain – Anil Kumble. He eventually got captaincy, but very late in his career. It is unfortunate that Ashwin did not get an opportunity to lead the country,” the former left-arm spinner from Karnataka said.

Also read: Ashwin truly embraced greatness

Talking about Ashwin’s strength as a spinner, Joshi said he was an attacking bowler who always thought of taking wickets.

“For me, Ashwin is an attacking bowler. More than the variety in his bowling, he is a match-winner for India. He was always looking to take wickets. This quality of his set him apart from other bowlers. He has never been a defensive bowler, and always spun the ball, be it red or white ball format. Having variety was an additional advantage for him to keep the batsmen guessing. For me, Ashwin's strength was he was an attacking bowler,” Joshi said.

'Allow Washington Sundar to grow'

Ashwin’s cricket journey has not ended and will continue to feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) from the next season. And, Joshi feels it will be challenging for him to play in the tournament post-retirement.

“With Chennai Super Kings picking him in the IPL 2025 auction, Ashwin will be keen to contribute to them. However, it will not be easy for him since he will not be playing the other formats of the game. There will be challenges for him to play only in the IPL,” he opined.

Also read: Ashwin after retirement: 'Bit of punch left in me'

Ashwin’s retirement has opened the door for his fellow Tamil Nadu off-spinner Washington Sundar to be the new partner for Ravindra Jadeja in the five-day format.

Joshi feels Sundar should be given time and space to grow just like when Harbhajan Singh and others mentored Ashwin as he started his international cricket journey.

“I think it is important to give space for every new cricketer to grow. Harbhajan was there when Ashwin came in. And, with him, Ashwin was mentored. Similarly, Washi (Washington Sundar) has already been there in the Indian cricket system and has done well in the last Test series (against New Zealand) at home. So, he has the confidence and backing of the coach and the captain. We need to allow him to grow and mature as a cricketer. He is among the top spinners in the country now, there is no doubt about it,” Joshi said.