Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin was handed the ultimate honor after he retired from international cricket on Monday, April 28. The off-spinner received the Padma Shri Award, India's fourth-highest civilian award. The 38-year-old was spotted getting the honor during a special ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) lavished Ashwin with this ultimate honor. "Congratulations to @ashwinravi99 on being conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award by the Hon'ble President of India @rashtrapatibhvn, honoring his remarkable achievements and an illustrious career with #TeamIndia," said BCCI.
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For the uninitiated, Ashwin retired from international cricket after a storied career that saw him spin a web on opposing teams for 14 years. The off-spinner last played cricket for team India during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2024 after making his Test debut against the West Indies in 2011.
Ashwin finishes India career with second-most international wickets
The off-spinner played 106 Test matches, 116 ODIs, and 65 T20Is for India. The 38-year-old was also part of India's victorious campaigns in the 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy squads. Ravichandran Ashwin ended his Test career as India's second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history with 537 wickets. In India, only Anil Kumble has more wickets (953) than Ashwin's (765) Test wickets.
Ashwin, who was picked in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy among two other spinners, was not selected for the first two Test matches. The spin-bowling all-rounder was picked for the third Test in Gabba, but it turned out to be his last, as he announced his international retirement in the post-match press conference. Currently, the off-spinner is playing the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) season for Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
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The off-spinner has failed to have an impact on the five-time IPL champions' side, as he has only picked four wickets in the seven matches that he has played.
