Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin created a stir during a speech at a graduation ceremony in a private engineering college in Chennai. Addressing the audience, Ashwin said Hindi is an official language, not the national language of India. During his speech, Ashwin asked the audience to respond based on their language preferences. "English students, give me a yay. Tamil students, cheer loudly. Hindi…" he said, noticing the quiet response. He then added, "I thought I'd say it all. It's (Hindi) not our national language; It's an official language. Okay, anyway."
The Constitution of India designates Hindi as one of the official languages. Hindi Diwas, observed on September 14, marks the day the Constituent Assembly granted Hindi its official status. Efforts over the years to promote Hindi as a unifying language have often faced resistance, particularly from states like Tamil Nadu, where linguistic pride and opposition to Hindi imposition remain strong.
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Ashwin recently retired from international cricket during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. The announcement came after the third Test in Brisbane, where he thanked his teammates, coaches, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for their support. "I've had a lot of fun. I have created many memories alongside Rohit Sharma and other teammates, even though I have lost some of them over the last few years. We're the last bunch of OGs left in the dressing room," Ashwin said, as reported by ESPNcricinfo. Ashwin expressed gratitude to several players, including Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and Cheteshwar Pujara, for their contributions on the field. "Most importantly, I thank Rohit, Virat, Ajinkya, and Pujara, who took those splendid catches around the bat," he said.
Ashwin concluded his international career as India’s second-highest wicket-taker, with 765 wickets across formats, including 537 in Tests. He played crucial roles in India’s victories in the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy and helped the team reach two World Test Championship finals in 2021 and 2023.
The off-spinner will continue playing in domestic cricket and for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. Fans will see him in action during the 2025 IPL season.