India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect on Wednesday (December 18).

The 38-year-old confirmed the decision while addressing the press conference with captain Rohit Sharma at the Gabba in Brisbane.

Ashwin's announcement came after the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy ended in a draw. Rohit confirmed that Ashwin would not stay with the team for the remainder of the five-match series.

“I think it would be unfortunate to have me around his side (on sitting with Rohit at the PC), since he has announced I'm not going to take too much of your time, this will be my last year as an Indian cricketer at the international level. There's a bit left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to exploit it at the domestic and club-level cricket, but this would be the last day (at the international level),” Ashwin told reporters.

“I have had a lot of fun, a lot of memories alongside Rohit and several of my other teammates. We've lost some of them over the last few years, we've been the last bunch of OGs I can say that are left out in the dressing room. I can mark this as my last day in the dressing room,” he added.

“I have several people to thank, but I would be failing in my duties if I didn't thank the BCCI and my teammates. I want to name a few of them, all the coaches who've been part of the journey, most importantly Rohit, Virat, Ajinkya, Pujara, who have taken a number of catches around the bat and have given men a number of wickets that I've managed over a number of years,” he further remarked.

“Also want to thank the Australian team who've been fierce competitors over a number of years, I've enjoyed my team playing against them. It's already getting long, I wouldn't be taking any questions, truly emotional moments and I'm not in a position to answer any questions in the right manner. Once again, thanks for being the journalists you've been, for writing good things, and some nasty things at times. It's a relationship I think we'll maintain forever and I hope you give the other cricketers the same amount of love that you showered upon me. I've stopped as a cricketer, but I'll go on and be involved with the game, it's a game which has given me a lot,” he concluded.

Notably, Ashwin was overlooked for the BGT opener in Perth while he got an opportunity in the second Test at the Adelaide Oval, where he picked up one wicket and scored 29 runs across the two innings.

Ashwin was not selected in India’s playing XI for the Gabba Test as well. The Indian team management replaced him with Ravindra Jadeja, who failed to claim a wicket in the rain-hit match but produced a fine knock of 77.

Ashwin finished his career as India's second highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, claiming 537 wickets in 106 matches at an impressive average of 25.76.