Ravi Ashwin breaks his silence on not captaining India in test cricket

Ravi Ashwin finished his test cricket career with 537 wickets.

Ravi Ashwin’s sudden decision to retire from international cricket during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 took many by surprise.

The star Indian all-rounder, who has been an integral part of India’s dominance in test cricket, finished his test career with 537 wickets at an average of 24.00. In addition to his bowling statistics, he also scored 3,503 runs at an average of 25.00, including six centuries in tests.

Post Ashwin’s retirement, fans flooded social media with emotional tributes with many suggesting that the legendary off-spinner deserved to lead the Indian test team before calling time on his career.

Now, the star all-rounder has broken his silence on the matter.

Ravi Ashwin on not captaining the India in test cricket

Speaking on the Sky Sports Podcast, Ashwin shared his thoughts on not having the chance to captain India in the longest format of the game.

He emphasized that, while he has no regrets about his career, he believes that he was more than capable of leading the side and would have enjoyed the opportunity.

Ashwin said, “It’s interesting. I am smart enough to know what works for me and what doesn’t for another person. When I started my career, I got first-class captaincy very early. I have won a few tournaments for my team. I believe I had it in me. But I did not have any regret that I didn’t go on to lead my country because these are not things that I can control. I do not have regrets, but I do think it would have been something I would have enjoyed.“

He acknowledged that leadership is a collective effort and requires team’s belief in the leader.

He continued, “Somebody needs to feel that I am good enough to lead the team, I need to get another 15-20 people to come along with me for me to be able to lead the team. It wasn’t meant for me in this particular chapter of my life.“

Despite never being the official captain of the Indian team, Ashwin noted that leadership doesn’t come with a title.

He explained, “I don’t think this office or corporate felt I was good enough to lead the team. That doesn’t mean I am not good enough for leadership. Leadership, you don’t need a title to do that because, within me, I was a great leader in that group to be able to contribute to other people’s success. I looked out for zones of contribution. I did it to the best of my ability.“

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