File photo of R Ashwin© BCCI/Sportzpics
India's veteran all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin is no longer an all-format player, with his international career limited to only Tests at the moment. Already 37, Ashwin is only behind the great Anil Kumble in terms of wicket-takers in Tests from the country. While the target of taking the No. 1 spot remains, Ashwin continues to play cricket only for his love for the game. When asked about the topic of retirement, the Tamil Nadu-born cricketer said that he will hang his boots the day he loses his love for the game.
"There is nothing like that in my mind. I am only thinking about one day at a time because when you get older, you have to put in extra effort every single day. It's not the same. I have put in a lot of effort in the last 3-4 years. I haven't decided (retirement), but the day I feel that today I don't want to improve, I will leave. That's all," Ashwin told Vimal Kumar, on the latter's YouTube channel, on being asked if he can play till 40.
"I haven't set any targets for myself. Anil Bhai wants me to break his record, but I'm just happy living day by day. I don't want to lose my love for the game by setting targets," he added.
Earlier, Ashwin had also spoken about a tough phase in his career, between 2018 and 2020, when injuries and form made him consider his future in the game. But now, the joy is back in Ashwin's mind.
"I know how my life changed after that tough phase. I'm just holding on to my joy of cricket, and the moment I feel I'm losing it, I'll step away."
"We all play, and we all have to leave. Somebody else will come and do well. It's Indian cricket," he concluded.