"You don't see me pushing across a kiss to my better half" - Ravichandran Ashwin reacts to being termed a serious personality

Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed perceptions about him being a serious personality a few days after announcing his retirement from international cricket. The 38-year-old felt his lack of extravagant celebrations after an individual or team success has led fans to such a belief.

Ashwin announced his international retirement in a shock to the cricketing world after the third Test of the ongoing India-Australia Test series down under. The off-spinner finished as the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test history with 537 scalps in 106 outings.

Speaking on the Sky Sports podcast about how he has been perceived by fans, Ashwin said:

"I wanted people to know me for who I am, because a lot of times, Ashwin's picking up a wicket and Virat Kohli is all over the place. So very often, you don't see me picking up a five-wicket haul and pushing across a kiss through the blade of my bat to my better half sitting in the dressing room or sitting in the hospitality box."

Ashwin continued:

"He's (Kohli) just jumping about and people very often tend to believe that Ashwin's the one that's absolutely serious and Virat's the one that's having all the fun, which is why somebody asked me the question, why are you serious all the time?

"My answer to that in the first place is I'm never a serious person, but when somebody is clobbering me and I have the ball in my hand to win a Test Match for my country, my mind is sticking because I'm in the process. So I felt like a lot of who I am got diluted in the fact of what I've become."

Ashwin remains India's second-highest wicket-taker overall (765) and in Tests (537) behind only Anil Kumble. His last outing for India was the second Test of the ongoing Australian series in Adelaide - a match his side lost by ten wickets.

"For me, I have always been the MVP and I am the MVP of my cricket" - Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin believed each cricketer should be celebrated as the MVP in their journey instead of only the legends getting all the accolades and admiration from the fans.

The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer was arguably India's greatest Test match-winner, evidenced by his joint-record 11 Player of the Series awards.

"One message I would leave for everybody and I want to constantly change is that it's not the fact that these are glorious cricketers but people on the outside who believe that everyone plays a support cast are extremely wrong because this is a sport. An MVP in my life, for my dad or for my mom, I am the MVP. It's not Rohit, Virat or somebody on the outside, likewise, everyone's journey is unique. For me, I have always been the MVP and I am the MVP of my cricket," said Ashwin.

Ashwin also played a major role in India's 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy triumphs.