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Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin stunned the Indian cricket fraternity by announcing his retirement from theIndian Premier League (IPL) on Wednesday, August 28. Ashwin played for Chennai Super Kings in the last IPL season, where he featured in nine matches of their campaign.

There were speculations and reports that Ashwin informed the Chennai Super Kings about his decision to leave the franchise, but the 38-year-old had sought clarity from the management regarding his role for the next edition of the IPL in 2026, indicating he was ready to part ways with the home franchise if he did not fit in their plans. Tamil Nadu cricketer had a homecoming to CSK after 10 years, after the franchise snapped him for 9.75 crore at the IPL 2025 Mega Auction in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last year.

However, Ravichandran Ashwin did not have an ideal outing in the last IPL season, as he took seven wickets at an average of 40.43 and an economy rate of 9.13 in nine matches. Last year, Ashwin was appointed as Head of Academies and High Performance Centre at CSK, a position he served alongside his playing duties till the last IPL season.

A week after speculation and reports of him parting ways with CSK, Ravichandran Ashwin announced his decision to call time on his illustrious career in the Indian Premier League. Taking to his X handle (formerly Twitter), Ashwin stated that he would explore opportunities in other T20 leagues across the globe, while thanking the franchises he represented for the ‘wonderful memories and relationships’ over the years.

“Special day and hence a special beginning. 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 wrote on X.

“Would like to thank all the franchisees for all the wonderful memories and relationships over the years and most importantly the @IPL and the @BCCI for what they have given me until now. Look forward to enjoying and making the most of what’s ahead of me,” he added.

 

Ravichandran Ashwin made his IPL debut for Chennai Super Kings in 2009 and then went on to play for Rising Pune SuperGiants, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals before returning to his first franchise last year. Throughout his IPL career, Ashwin has had the most successful stint with Chennai as he has picked 97 wickets at an average of 25.39 and an economy rate of 6.68 in 106 matches.

Ashwin played a crucial role in the Chennai Super Kings’ two successive IPL titles in 2010 and 2011 and was the highest wicket-taker for the team with 20 wickets in the latter season of the tournament.

What's next for Ashwin after IPL retirement?

Ravichandran Ashwin retired as the fifth leading wicket-taker of the IPL, with 187 wickets, including a four-wicket haul, at an average of 30.22 and an economy rate of 7.20 in 221 matches. He is the fourth leading wicket-taker among the spinners after Yuzvendra Chahal (221), Sunil Narine (192), and Piyush Chawla (192).

Ashwin has already retired from international cricket midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after the Gabba Test ended in a draw in December last year. As the veteran Indian spinner moved on from his international and IPL career, he is set to embrace the next chapter in other global T20 leagues. Ashwin recently played for Dindigul Dragons in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2025, where he amassed 297 runs and picked 13 wickets in 10 matches.

The Tamil Nadu cricketer is likely to continue playing in TNPL, but will be exploring opportunities in other T20 leagues. Since he is no longer BCCI’s contracted player following his international retirement, he is now free to participate in other T20 leagues, including the Big Bash League, SA20 League, Caribbean Premier League, and others.

Ravichandran Ashwin is the third wicket-taker among Indian bowlers in T20 cricket, scalping 317 wickets, including 4 four-wicket hauls, at an average of 26.94 and an economy rate of 7.11 in 33 matches.

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