Father says Ashwin was being humiliated; off-spinner plays it down as 'dad comment'

Chennai: Just-retired R Ashwin's father Ravichandran kicked up a controversy on Thursday by claiming that "humiliation" could have been a reason for his son's decision to call it quits but the veteran off-spinner made light of the "dad comment", blaming it on lack of media training.

Ashwin dropped a bombshell on Wednesday when he announced his retirement from top-flight cricket at the end of the drawn third Test against Australia in Brisbane. He flew back to Chennai the same evening and was welcomed warmly by his family and friends here on Thursday morning.

Although Ashwin described his decision as an "instinctive" call that was on his mind for a while, his father raised eyebrows by hinting at other factors, including humiliation.

"I too came to know at the last minute. The way in which he gave that (retirement), there could be many reasons. Only Ashwin knows, maybe humiliation," Ravichandran told CNN News18.

However, Ashwin later tried to douse the fire, saying his father was not "media trained" and his comment should not be taken seriously.

"My father isn't media trained, dey father inneda ithelaam (what's all this, father). I never thought you will follow this rich tradition of 'dad statements'," he quipped after the comment became a viral social media trend.

"Request you all to forgive him and leave him alone," Ashwin wrote on X.

Earlier, Ravichandran said the family was expecting Ashwin's retirement for some time because "humiliation was going on", though he didn't reveal the exact nature of it.

"The sudden change – retirement – gave us a shock. We were expecting it because humiliation was going on. How long he can tolerate all those things? Probably, he would have decided on his own," he said.

"It's his wish and desire, I cannot interfere in that. The way he gave his retirement, one part I was very happy, another part not happy because he should have continued," he added.

Ashwin had told the media in Brisbane that he has a "bit of punch left" in him, hinting at reasons more than mere cricketing.

Washington Sundar was picked ahead of the seasoned off-spinner, who has 537 Test wickets, for the first game in Perth. The 38-year-old found a place in the eleven for the Pink Ball Test at Adelaide.

However, Ashwin was again benched for the third Test at the 'Gabba' as Ravindra Jadeja started in that match.

India skipper Rohit Sharma revealed that he had a chat with Ashwin on the sidelines of the Perth Test and convinced him to stay for the day-night game.

"...this was on his mind and there are obviously a lot of things that went behind it. When I arrived in Perth, this was a chat we had and I somehow convinced him to stay for that pink ball Test match," Rohit had revealed in his press conference on Wednesday.

"Then after that it just happened so that he felt that if I (Ashwin) am not needed right now in the series, I am better off saying goodbye to the game," he added.

Ashwin will continue to play club cricket and will be turning up for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL next year.