Team India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and batting star Virat Kohli were seen what appeared to be an emotional conversation in the dressing room on day five of the third Test against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane. A video surfaced on social media as Kohli put his arms around Ashwin, with the off-spinner's retirement speculations emerging from the netizens due to the same.
Ashwin, one of the frontline spinners in India's squad, played in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. However, he was dropped for the third Test in Brisbane as the tourists decided to bring in left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja. Nevertheless, the Tamil Nadu-born cricketer is the greatest off-spinner produced by India, having taken over 530 wickets after debuting in 2011.
Meanwhile, below is the video of the moment between Kohli and Ashwin:
Men
— Ajinkya Ajit Patil (@Ajinky__patil) December 18, 2024
Retired to nahi ho rahe Ashwin? @ashwinravi99 pls aisa mat karo
#GabbaTest
Ashwin
Rohit
Kohli @imVkohli
Video captured by @StarSportsIndia pic.twitter.com/gOqOP1ie6Y
Here's how netizens have reacted to the viral video:
Virat Kohli gives a hug to emotional R Ashwin anna.
— Sachin XP (@isachinxp) December 18, 2024
Retirement ⏳
Decade of Greatness coming in front of eyes.#INDvsAUS #Ashwin #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/q12w2GICuD
Rohit is too arrogant to do it. Kohli is too ambitious. It could be Ashwin.
— Vinish Garg (@vingar) December 18, 2024
Kohli or Ashwin rendu Perla yaaro retire aaga poraanga pola
— Bryce Walker (@Bunny181forever) December 18, 2024
Ashwin Retirement? Or Kohli
— Nishant Bhardwaj (@Ni_sh_an_t_) December 18, 2024
Virat Kohli hugging Ravichandran Ashwin at Gabba.
— Vikas (@vikasg26) December 18, 2024
Is it indicating Retirement announcement on cards?#AUSvIND #INDvAUS #INDvsAUS #BGT #BGT2025 #BGT2024 pic.twitter.com/EN19hMusgO
Ashwin / Kohli.
— - (@_zadon_) December 18, 2024
One of them will announce there retirement today.
#INDvAUS #AUSvINDIA
Seeing Ravichandran Ashwin's reaction sitting with Virat Kohli almost confirms that he is retiring from cricket. The best test bowler in the history of Indian test cricket. End of an era #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/gBpzIas79u
— Aryan Bansal (@aryan_cskian) December 18, 2024
What happened going on.
— Vinod R Vishwakarma (@lohar__vinod) December 18, 2024
Emotional moment in Gabba. Virat Kohli hugging Ravi Ashwin.
Probably last tour of Ashwin in SENA COUNTRI.#AUSvINDIA #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/QiisHsFMoK