Recently, Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from international cricket, received an overwhelming tribute from fans and fellow cricketers worldwide for his remarkable career and contributions to the sport. Amidst this, he received a particularly special message, which can be considered the most heartfelt one so far. This message came from his wife, Prithi, in an Instagram post.
In her emotional post, Prithi shared that the past two days had been quite blurry for her as she wondered what she should say. Should she pay tribute to her favorite cricketer of all time, express her feelings as his life partner, or write a loving letter as a fan? She felt that her message encompassed all of these aspects.
Reflecting on Ashwin’s 13-14 years in cricket, Prithi recalled many moments of success, including the times when Ashwin would run longer after a match, write his thoughts on paper, rewatch his videos, and plan his strategies for every game. She also remembered how he would take a deep breath before heading to the field and listen to the same songs repeatedly.
In her emotional message, Prithi also recalled the moments they shared, both in joy and sorrow—moments when they cried in happiness, celebrated big wins such as after the CT final, the MCG victory, the drawn match in Sydney, the victory at Gabba, and Ashwin’s return to T20s. She also remembered the times when their hearts were broken, and they silently sat together.
Prithi expressed that the journey from not knowing Ashwin to being with him, seeing him, and learning from him had been nothing short of a joy. She added that through Ashwin, she was introduced to the world of cricket in a way that allowed her to enjoy the game she loved deeply. She learned how much passion, effort, and discipline were needed to carve a place in the sport and sustain it.
Now that Ashwin’s stellar international career has come to an end, Prithi concluded her message with a reassuring note: everything will be fine, and the best is yet to come. She expressed that it was time for Ashwin to ease the burden and live life on his own terms.
She humorously wrote that now it was time to make room for extra calories, spend time with family, do nothing, share memes all day, introduce new changes in bowling, and enjoy moments with their children. She concluded by saying, “Just do all of this now.”
