The debate over status of Hindi in India has once again been triggered following recent comments by retired cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin.

"I thought I'd say it all. It's (Hindi) not our national language; It's an official language. Okay, anyway" Ashwin said while addressing the 23rd Graduation Day of Rajalakshmi Engineering College in his hometown of Chennai.

Hhe asked the students in what language they would like him to address them. While a few preferred English and there was overwhelming support when he gave the option of addressing them in Tamil, there seemed to be no takers for Hindi.

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Ashwin retired from international cricket midway through the Border-Gavaskar series. He finished his career with 537 Test wickets, the second-most by an Indian in the format.

His comments have yet again brought to the fore the raging debate of on whether Hindi should be recognized as a national language. For over a decade several politicians from the South Indian states have raised the issue of the language being imposed on them.

In the same Graduation Day ceremony, Ashwin called upon the youth to pursue excellence and continue to learn even after completing their formal education.

"Whatever lies ahead of you, be it your career, financial liberation, or anything else, you should hold on to a good cause. Only then you will be strong with a steely resolve with the ability to fight battles that come your way," he said. He advised the students to ignore those who demotivate them, remain focussed, pursue excellence, and always remember to keep on learning.

Recalling his student days, the off-spinner said that he found it very hard to balance his education as well as his game. "Proper time management helped me... it was not easy, but looking back, I think what I learnt there and the tough times that I endured has made me what I am today," he said.