Dear Ashwin, from not knowing how to put a kit bag together to following you to stadiums all over the world, rooting for you, watching you and learning from you, it has been an absolute pleasure

Chennai: India’s ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s wife Prithi Narayanan has penned a heartfelt tribute for her husband following his recent retirement from the game, saying “it is time to set the burden of being you down” and embrace life beyond the game.

Ashwin made a surprise announcement of his retirement after the drawn third Test at Brisbane. The veteran cricketer picked up just one wicket during the tour, including the 10-wicket loss at Adelaide.

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The 38-year-old retired with a stellar record of 537 Test wickets at an average of 24, in addition to scoring 3,503 runs, including six centuries. He also claimed 156 wickets in ODIs and 72 in T20Is.

Describing her tribute as a “Love letter from a fan girl”, Prithi wrote on instagram: “Dear Ashwin, from not knowing how to put a kit bag together to following you to stadiums all over the world, rooting for you, watching you and learning from you, it has been an absolute pleasure. The world you introduced me to gave me the privilege to watch and enjoy a sport that I love from close quarters.

“It also showed me how much passion, hardwork and discipline is needed to keep your head above water. And sometimes even that is not enough. I remember us talking about why you, R Ashwin, had to do all of this and a lot more to even stay relevant in the scheme of things.”

Ashwin, who debuted in 2011 against the West Indies, earned a reputation for his relentless pursuit of excellence. His near-equal tally of 269 wickets against right-handers and 268 against left-handers highlights his versatility.

“How awards, the best of stats, the POMs, the accolades, the records didn’t matter if you didn’t sharpen your skill sets constantly and did not put in the work. Sometimes, nothing is enough,” Prithi continued.

“As you end your wonderful international run, I only want to tell you that it’s all good. It is all going to be good. It is time to set the burden of being you down. Live life on your terms, make space for those extra calories, make time for your family, make time to do absolutely nothing, share memes all day, create a new bowling variation, bug our kids out of their minds. Just do it all.”

Prithi, who has been a constant companion on Ashwin’s cricketing journey, reflected on his meticulous approach to his craft.

“When I saw Ashwins PC, I thought of small and big moments. Many many memories over the last 13-14 years. The big wins , the MOS awards, the quiet silence in our room after an intense game, the sound of the shower running for much longer than usual on some evenings post play, the scratch of pencil over paper as he scribbled thoughts down, the constant streaming of footage videos when he is making a game plan, the calm of meditative breathing before leaving for each game, certain songs playing on repeat while he unwinds..

“The times we weeped in joy – after the CT final, after the MCG win, after the Sydney draw, The Gabba win, after making a comeback in T20s…the times we sat in silence and the times when we had our hearts broken,” she wrote.