From Irfan Pathan to Lasith Malinga and CSK: Cricket Fraternity Pays Tribute to Ravichandran Ashwin

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Cricket fraternity paid heartfelt tributes to veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect following the completion of the Brisbane Test on Wednesday (December 18).

Ashwin stunned the cricketing world by bidding adieu to his international career in the middle of the ongoing Test series against Australia despite having a "bit of punch left" in him.

The 38-year-old retires from the game as the second highest wicket-taker for India in Tests with 537 scalps in 106 games, placing him only behind the great Anil Kumble (619 wickets) and seventh in the overall statistics.

In the limited-overs format, Ashwin was part of the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy-winning teams. He claimed 228 wickets across 181 white-ball games - One Day Internationals and T20 Internationals.

While he retires from the international circuit, Ashwin will continue to play club cricket, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he will return to compete for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) next year.

Moments after the seasoned spinner called time on his international career, tributes poured in from the cricketing fraternity, thanking Ashwin for his contribution to the game as some of his teammates and rivals, labelled him as a "match-winner", "sharpest cricketing brain", "genius of the game" among several other traits of the legend.

"An absolute match-winner, @ashwinravi99! Retiring as India's second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket is nothing short of monumental. Combine that with his invaluable batting contributions, and you get one of the game's solid all-rounders. Well done, Ash!," posted former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan.

"Hey Ash, congratulations on a magnificent career, old boy. You were an invaluable asset during my tenure as coach and enriched the game immensely with your skill and craft. God bless," former India head coach Ravi Shastri posted on X.

"Happy retirement, @ashwinravi99. A true genius of the game and one of cricket's sharpest minds. Congratulations on an incredible career!," former Sri Lanka pacer Lasith Malinga posted on his social media, account labelling Ashwin as a "ture genius of the game".

"Sharpest cricketing brain and very skilled bowler. For me R Ashwin is the greatest Indian off-spinner, true Test all-rounder and a modern day great. Somehow I feel he deserved a much better farewell," Mohammad Kaif posted on X.

IPL teams, including his current team Chennai Super Kings, also posted tributes to Ashwin, congratulating the veteran spinner on his international career that spanned for almost 14 years.

The BCCI was also quick to congratulate Ashwin on a special career. "A name synonymous with mastery, wizardry, brilliance, and innovation," said the BCCI in its tribute post on X.