Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from Indian cricket on August 27, bringing the curtains down on an illustrious career. However, he is willing to continue playing franchise cricket in leagues worldwide. The Tamil Nadu spinner has enrolled himself for the ILT20 auction, hoping to become the fourth Indian cricketer to play in the league after Robin Uthappa, Yusuf Pathan, and Ambati Rayudu.
Former South African captain and Royal Challengers Bengaluru RCB stalwart AB de Villiers hailed Ashwin for being a cricketer who loved studying the game. The cricketer-turned-expert also feels that Ashwin should never have left the Chennai Super Kings CSK, as he did not look settled at other franchises.
Ashwin represented CSK from 2008 to 2015. He went on to play for teams like Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, Rising Pune Supergiant, and Punjab Kings. The Chennai-born also captained the Punjab Kings in IPL 2018. Ahead of IPL 2025, Ashwin returned to CSK for INR 9.75 crore. However, he had a dismal season, picking up only seven wickets from nine matches at an average of 40.43.