Ravichandran Ashwin.
Credit: PTI Photo
When R Ashwin burst onto international circuit in 2010, on the back of consistent domestic performance and an exemplary season for CSK, he was expected to take over the spin mantle for India, which was no easy task as Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh had raised the bar so high.
287 matches and 765 wickets later, there is no doubt in anyone's mind that Ashwin has not only lived up to those standards, but is also is one the best spinners to have graced the game.
With the Tamil Nadu man retiring from international cricket, here's everything you need to know about him:
When did Ashwin make his international debut?
After winning the IPL in 2010 with CSK under the then Indian skipper M S Dhoni, Ashwin was handed his first Indian cap against Sri Lanka in an ODI tri-series in Harare on June 5, 2010, where he scored a 32–ball 38 and taking 2/50 in that match. Just a week later, on June 12, 2010, he made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe at the same venue.
It wasn't until November 6, 2011 that Ashwin made his debut in the format that he is now renowned for, with Sachin Tendulkar handing him his first Test cap in a series against the West Indies in New Delhi.
What trophies has he won?
Ashwin was part of India's 2011 ODI World Cup winning squad, as well as an integral part of the 2013 Champions Trophy triumphant team.
Besides that, he was part of the teams that won the 2010 and 2016 Asia Cups for India.
What individual accolades has he received?
Ashwin won the following accolades during his international career:
Polly Umrigar Award: 2012-13
Arjuna award: 2015
ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year: 2016
ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year: 2016
CEAT International Cricketer of the Year: 2016–17
What records does Ashwin hold?
Most player-of-the-series awards: 11 in Test matches
Fastest to reach 250, 300 and 350 wickets in Test cricket (in terms of matches)
Most calendar years with 50-plus wickets: Four times, including 54 wickets in 2021
Fastest Indian to reach 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 and 500 Test wickets (in terms of matches)
Only Indian cricketer to score a century and take five wickets in the same Test match on four separate instances
First Indian to take 50 T20I wickets
Highest wicket-taker in a single Test season: 82 wickets
One of the three all rounders to achieve the double of 3000 runs and 500 wickets in tests
Most wickets in India: 383 wickets
What do his career stats look like?
Overall record
Matches played: 287
Runs scored: 4,394
Highest Score: 124
Wickets taken: 765
Test Record
Matches played: 106
Runs scored: 3503
Highest Score: 124
Wickets taken: 537
ODI Record
Matches played: 116
Runs scored: 707
Highest Score: 65
Wickets taken: 156
T20I Record
Matches played: 65
Runs scored: 184
Highest Score: 31 not out
Wickets taken: 72
What was his best year for India?
Ashwin best year for India was 2016, when he won the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year and ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year for his 97 wickets and 659 runs in 31 matches that year.
What is his net worth?
According to multiple reports, Ashwin's net worth is somewhere around Rs 130 crore.
Recently, CSK got Ashwin for Rs 9.75 crore for IPL 2025 at the mega auctions.
Ashwin's BCCI contract for the 2023–2024 season was in the Grade A category, with an annual salary of ₹5 crore.
What is 'Kutti Stories'?
As he got into the twilight years of his career, Ashwin began a YouTube channel where he and a guest, usually Prasanna Agoram, analyise and discuss various topics surrounding cricket.
'Kutti Stories' is a short series of videos on the channel where he discussed the miraculous Test series win vs Australia in Australia in 2020/21.
It was this series that gained traction for his YouTube channel, and encouraged him to pursue other avenues in the sport, such as podcasting.
When did Ashwin last play for India?
Ashwin last T20I was on 10 November 2022 v England.
His last ODI match was on 8 October 2023 v Australia.
His last Test match was on 6 December 2024 v Australia.