Ravichandran Ashwin gets loud cheer for Tamil, adds fuel to language debate: 'Hindi not our national language'
Speaking at an event in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Ravichandran Ashwin said, “Hindi is not the national language but an official one.”
Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from international cricket in December 2024, weighed in on whether Hindi is a "national language" or not. The premier off-spinner, who has 537 Test wickets, attended the graduation ceremony at a private engineering college in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and it was then that he remarked that Hindi is not a "national language" but an "official language."
Ashwin first took the dias to speak and asked how many attendees understood English. He then asked the same question about Tamil and Hindi.
“English students in the house..give me a yay. Tamil?" As soon as Ashwin said Tamil, there was a roar inside the college.
He then said, "Okay... Hindi?" Upon seeing little to no cheer from the crowd, the spinner said, "I thought I should say this: Hindi is an official language and not the national language."
It is important to state that the Constitution of India terms Hindi as an "official language." The use of the language in Tamil Nadu has always been a sensitive topic.
'Never pursued captaincy'
During the event, Ravichandran Ashwin said he never pursued captaincy despite several fans and pundits saying he should have taken the role.
"When someone says I can't do it, I wake up to accomplish it, but if they say I can, I lose interest," Ashwin said.
Ashwin announced his retirement following the end of the Gabba Test between India and Australia. The spinner ended his career as the second-highest wicket-taker for India across all formats of the game, only second to Anil Kumble.
While announcing his retirement, Ashwin said, "This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level. I feel there’s a little bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I’d like to express that, showcase that in club-level cricket.”
Ashwin just played the Adelaide Test against Australia. He was not in the playing XI for the first match in Perth and the third match in Brisbane.
The off-spinner will continue to play for Tamil Nadu and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL.
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