Brisbane:  Ravichandran Ashwin, one of India’s most successful and respected cricketers, announced his retirement from international cricket here today.

The decision, which comes after years of stellar performances in all formats of the game, marks the end of an era for Indian cricket. Ashwin, 38, made his mark as a key bowler for India across formats, known for his sharp cricketing mind, varied spin deliveries and his ability to turn the game on its head. He leaves behind a legacy that includes 537 Test wickets, having made significant contributions in both Test and limited-overs cricket.

Ashwin’s international career began in the first match of 2011 when he made his debut against West Indies in Delhi. Quickly he established himself as a key figure in India’s bowling attack.

Ashwin also made a name for himself as Test allrounder, with six centuries to his name in the red-ball internationals. He also enjoyed being the top-ranked Test allrounder in the ICC rankings. In white-ball cricket, Ashwin played 116 ODIs, taking 156 wickets and in 65 T20Is, he claimed 72 wickets.

“I won’t take too much of your time. Today will be the last day for me as an India cricketer,” said Ashwin said at the end of the drawn third Test here in a joint press conference with Captain Rohit Sharma during which he declined to take any questions and left after the announcement.