Ashwin passes the baton to Washigton Sundar

India’s ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shocked the cricketing world by announcing his international retirement in the middle of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia earlier this week.

With discussions ongoing about who will replace the Tamil Nadu player, Ashwin has made his preferences clear.

Fellow spinner Washington Sundar penned an emotional farewell message for ‘Ash Anna’ on the social media platform X, which read: ‘You have been an inspiration. It’s been an honour to share the field and dressing room with you. Coming from the same state of Tamil Nadu, I have grown up watching you from the close corners of Chepauk to playing against and alongside you.’”

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In reply, Ashwin wrote, ‘Thuppakiya pudinga Washi!’—a dialogue from Tamil superstar Vijay’s latest film G.O.A.T., symbolising the passing of the baton.

Among all the options to replace Ashwin, Sundar appears to be the closest like-for-like replacement and a preferred choice for the current Indian coaching setup. The Tamil Nadu all-rounder was chosen over Ashwin for the first BGT Test in Perth but had a limited role with the ball.

Sundar’s batting skills ensure that India’s team balance—critical to its home dominance over the last decade—remains intact. The off-spinner has taken 24 wickets and scored 387 runs in seven Tests, offering the additional flexibility of batting higher up the order if required.