"How is language diversity shaping sports and athlete identity in India?"
Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin made a bold statement on Thursday (Jan 9) while he was in attendance in an event at a college event. While speaking he stated, that Hindi is not our national language but it is our official language, attracting reactions from netizens. Ashwin recently announced his retirement from international cricket, bowing out after the Brisbane Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in December.
Ravichandran Ashwin makes headlines
"I thought I should say this: Hindi is not our national language; it is an official language," Ashwin stated.
"When someone says I can't do it, I wake up to accomplish it, but if they say I can, I lose interest," Ashwin explained.
"If you are a student, you will never stop. If you aren't, learning will cease, and excellence will just be a word in your cupboard,” added Ashwin.
The legendary spinner was in the headlines in December when he abruptly announced his retirement after the Brisbane Test. According to reports, he was unhappy with the management’s decision to put him on the bench in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He was only drafted into the Adelaide Test after captain Rohit Sharma vetoed for his inclusion.
The 2011 World Cup winner retired with a tally of 537 Test wickets in 106 matches while also scoring 3503 runs. He scored six hundreds in the format and was India’s most reliable all-rounder for over a decade. In the ODI format, Ashwin represented India in 116 matches and scalped 156 wickets while in the T20Is he has 72 wickets in 65 matches.
He goes down as one of the legends of Indian cricket and at the time of retirement is the second most successful Test bowler for the nation. Only Anil Kumble with 619 scalped more wickets than Ashwin in the red-ball format. Overall, he is the seventh most successful bowler in Test format, underlining his name as one of the best in the world.
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