"Would have sent him with lot of respect and happiness": Kapil Dev on Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement

India's celebrated off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin revealed his decision to retire from international cricket moments after the Brisbane Test ended in a draw on Wednesday.

"The next generation has to be better than us. If not, the world is not going ahead. We never imagined that somebody would come close to Sachin Tendulkar or Sunil Gavaskar...Ashwin has gone. I wish I had been there, I wouldn't have let him go like that. I would have sent him with a lot of respect and happiness," Kapil Dev said as quoted by ANI.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ashwin appeared alongside India's captain Rohit Sharma at the post-match press conference to announce his decision. Speculation about his retirement began to build when he became emotional and was hugged by Virat Kohli.

Ashwin played 106 Tests, taking a staggering 537 wickets, including 37 five-wicket hauls, and scored 3,503 runs. His contributions to Indian cricket extend far beyond these impressive statistics.

He is the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history and the second-highest for India, behind Anil Kumble (619). He also has the second-most five-wicket hauls in Tests, after Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan (67).

Ashwin was instrumental in India's dominance in Test cricket, especially during their rise to the top between 2014 and 2019.

In limited-overs cricket, Ashwin played 181 matches, taking 228 wickets. He featured in 116 ODIs, claiming 156 wickets with best figures of 4/25 and scoring 707 runs. In 65 T20Is, he took 72 wickets, with best figures of 4/8, and scored 184 runs.

With 765 international wickets across formats, Ashwin is India's second-highest wicket-taker, behind Kumble (953). He was also part of India's 2011 World Cup-winning squad and the 2013 Champions Trophy team.

Ashwin's retirement marks the end of a remarkable era, leaving behind a legacy that will inspire future generations. (ANI)