NEW DELHI: Congress MP Vijay Vasanth on Friday took to social media to request the Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to honor just retired off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin with the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
Ashwin bid adeau to international cricket after the conclusion of the third India vs Australia Test in Brisbane which ended in a draw.
Ashwin on Thursday appeared alongside Indian captain Rohit Sharma at the post-match press conference to confirm his retirement decision.
Speculation about his retirement had intensified after he was seen teary-eyed and hugged teammate Virat Kohli in the dresing room on the final day of the Test.
Over a career spanning more than a decade, Ashwin played 106 Tests, taking an astounding 537 wickets, including 37 five-wicket hauls, and scoring 3,503 runs.
He is the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history and ranks second among Indian bowlers, behind Anil Kumble (619).
He also holds the second-most five-wicket hauls in Tests, trailing only Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan (67).
Ashwin was pivotal in India’s dominance in Test cricket, particularly during their rise to the top rankings between 2014 and 2019.
Beyond his Test success, Ashwin also excelled in limited-overs cricket, playing 181 matches and taking 228 wickets.
In ODIs, he claimed 156 wickets from 116 games, with best figures of 4/25, and contributed 707 runs with the bat. In T20Is, Ashwin took 72 wickets in 65 matches, achieving best figures of 4/8, and scored 184 runs.
With a total of 765 wickets across formats, Ashwin stands as India’s second-highest wicket-taker, after Kumble (953). He was an integral part of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning team and the 2013 Champions Trophy squad.
