Ravichandran Ashwin Honoured By President Murmu, Joins Elite List
April 28 was a memorable day for India's legendary spinner R Ashwin. The former international cricketer, who announced his retirement last year, was honoured with the Padma Shri, the country's fourth-highest civilian award. President Droupadi Murmu presented him the award at a special ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Ashwin Joins an Elite Group
The event was graced by many prominent personalities, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With this honour, Ashwin became the 40th Indian cricketer to receive the Padma Shri, joining a distinguished list that includes Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, and Gautam Gambhir. Along with Ashwin, hockey star PR Sreejesh also received the Padma Award this year. In 2023, cricket coach Gurcharan Singh had been a recipient of the same honour.
Ashwin's Final Chapter in International Cricket
Regarded as one of India's finest spinners, Ashwin played a key role in many of India's memorable wins. His last international appearance came during the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2024, after which he announced his retirement.
Although retired from international cricket, Ashwin continues to feature in domestic competitions. He is currently playing for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025. However, his performance this season has been underwhelming, with just 5 wickets in 7 matches so far.
Chennai Super Kings' playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. Although they are still mathematically in contention, their chances of qualifying look highly unrealistic. With just 2 wins from 9 matches, CSK currently have only 4 points on the table. They have five league-stage matches remaining, but they would need a near-perfect run to keep their slim hopes alive.
sports