Ravichandran Ashwin has shocked everyone by stating his retirement from international cricket after the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia at the Gabba. The all-round Indian legend did that without giving any hint prior. His decision brings an end to a career that lasted nearly 15 years. Ashwin responded to a common perception regarding him during a chat with former cricketers Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports. He says people view him very much as a 'serious character,' something that perhaps stems from the exuberance of Virat Kohli whenever Ashwin conks up someone's timbers. All that cheering from Kohli has gone on to give Ashwin a serious image in people's minds, although he dismissed it by saying he keeps himself focused on the game only when trying to win a Test match for India. He said: “I wanted people to know me for who I am, because a lot of times, Ashwin is picking up a wicket and Virat Kohli is all over the place. He’s just jumping about and people very often tend to believe that Ashwin’s the one that’s absolutely serious and Virat’s the one that’s having all the fun, which is why somebody asked me the question ‘Why are you serious all the time?’ My answer to that in the first place is I’m never a serious person, but when somebody is clobbering me and I have the ball in my hand to win a Test Match for my country, my mind is sticking, because I’m in the process.” He also elaborated on how he does not celebrate some things, such as blowing a kiss towards his wife after scoring notable milestones, which Kohli does for his wife, Anushka Sharma. He said his approach is not the same and mirrors his nature. Also Read | Naman Ojha's Father Sentenced to 7 Years in Bank Embezzlement Case He added: “So very often, you don’t see me picking up a five-wicket haul and pushing across a kiss through the blade of my bat to my better half sitting in the dressing room or sitting in the hospitality box. So I felt like a lot of who I am got diluted in the fact of what I’ve become. So I wanted to bring that out in my book.” International Career of R. Ashwin Ashwin has some pretty amazing career accomplishments. In Test cricket, he ranks as the second-highest wicket-taker for India with 537 wickets and the seventh all-around in the world. Overall, across formats, he took 765 international wickets. He was a member of the Indian side that won the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. Although he has retired from international cricket, Ashwin will continue his game in the IPL. He will feature for Chennai Super Kings when the 2025 season comes around.