Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin made the decision to withdraw from India's ongoing third Test against England as he flew back to Chennai to attend to his ailing mother.
The BCCI issued an update on this development but refrained from specifying the nature of the medical issue concerning Ashwin's family. However, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla confirmed on 'X' that it is indeed Ashwin's mother who has fallen ill.
On Friday, Ashwin reached the milestone of 500 Test wickets when he dismissed England opener Zak Crawley.
"Ravichandran Ashwin has withdrawn from the Test squad, effective immediately due to a family medical emergency. In these challenging times, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the team fully supports Ashwin," BCCI said in a media release.
"The BCCI extends its heartfelt support to the champion cricketer and his family. The health and well-being of the players and their loved ones are of utmost importance. The Board requests respect for the privacy of Ashwin and his family as they navigate through this challenging time," the statement added further.
A few minutes later, Shukla posted on X, "Wishing speedy recovery of mother of @ashwinravi99. He has to rush and leave Rajkot test to Chennai to be with his mother."
BCCI secretary Jay Shah said, "The Board and the team will continue to provide any necessary assistance to Ashwin and will keep the lines of communication open to offer support as needed. Team India appreciates the understanding and empathy of the fans and media during this sensitive period."
India will continue the rest of the third Test with only 10 players and four proper bowlers.
It's been indicated that Ashwin may not be available for the last two Tests of the five-match series in Ranchi (Feb 25-29) and Dharamsala (March 7-11).
As for a like-for-like substitute for Ashwin, the Indian squad currently has off-spinner Washington Sundar.
Outside the squad, potential replacements are Jayant Yadav and Jalaj Saxena, along with the young Pulkit Narang.
(With PTI inputs)
