Ravichandran Ashwin has decided to pull down the curtains on his IPL career. He made the announcement on social media platform X on Wednesday morning, vowing to start exploring "the game around various leagues".
The off spinner, who quit international cricket during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in December 2024, ends as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the IPL with 187 wickets in 217 innings at an economy rate of 7.2.
Ashwin played for Chennai Super Kings last season, thus signing off with his home franchise with which he started the IPL journey in 2009. He also represented Rising Pune Supergiant, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals, and led Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings).
"They say every ending will have a new start, my time as an IPL cricketer comes to a close today, but my time as an explorer of the game around various leagues begins today," Ashwin posted on X.
Ashwin was a vital part of CSK's title wins in 2010 and 2011, picking 13 and 20 wickets, respectively. In 2010, Ashwin was also the player of the series in CSK's Champions League T20 victory.
Ashwin, 38, who was acquired by CSK at the mega auction last year for ₹9.75 crore, played nine of 14 matches.
He and CSK decided to part ways earlier this month. There are reports that he wants to play in the Hundred next season.
The Daily Telegraph, London, claimed it “understands that Ashwin would be eager to play in next season’s Hundred tournament.” “Ashwin plans to play in several leagues around the world over the coming years, and has identified the Hundred as a competition in which he would be eager to appear,” the report stated.
Much like his statemate, Dinesh Karthik, who retired from the IPL in June 2024 and went on to feature in the SA20 six months later, Ashwin too wants to play in overseas leagues.
The BCCI doesn't allow any current Indian international or domestic cricketer to feature in overseas T20 leagues. Karthik now is also among the support staff if RCB.
He would be hotly-sought figure at the auction, not just because “four of the eight Hundred franchises" -– the ones based at Old Trafford, Headingley, the Ageas Bowl and the Oval -– have been partially or fully bought by Indian corporate houses, but also because of his bag of tricks.
Ashwin was the first player to be retired-out in the IPL, and the first one to run-out a non-striker without delivering the ball.
Interestingly, Ashwin's last IPL wicket was 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals. Suryavanshi slammed 57 runs off just 33 balls.
Facing only his third ball from Ashwin, Suryavanshi went for a slog, but ended up skying it, and Jadeja grabbed the leading edge.
"...The next ball, I bowled a slower one. You (Samson) have kept wickets for me for a long time and you know I do that to see if he would go for the big one," Ashwin said in a podcast with Sanju Samson.
“I pulled it a bit wide and he just waited and gave it a solid shot, and the ball went through mid-on for a single. I remember thinking, ‘what the hell, man… where has this guy come from?’”
