Cricket: CSK great Ravichandran Ashwin retires from the Indian Premier League
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Ashwin calls time on incredible IPL career
If nothing else, 2025 will be remembered as a year of major change for Indian cricket, with several of the nation's stalwarts of the game deciding to call time on their careers, some in certain formats and others, entirely.
Among the high-profile farewells announced already this year include those of two former national team captains in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test matches, while Cheteshwar Pujara did likewise last month.
Now, we are set to witness another Indian great bid adieu, this time from franchise cricket, with Ravichandran Ashwin confirming that he will no longer be competing in the richest league competition across the nation - the Indian Premier League.
The 38-year-old off-spinner has featured in 16 of the 18 editions of the IPL and claimed a remarkable 187 wickets across his tenure, making him the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the history of the competition.
Other tournament records held by the Chennai Super Kings legend include having the most wickets by an Indian off-spinner. He is also seventh on the list of all-time appearances in the IPL with a staggering 221, only behind Sharma, Kohli, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Ravi Jadeja and Shikhar Dhawan.
While Ashwin will likely be remembered donning the yellow of the Chennai Super Kings, he also represented the Delhi Capitals, Kings XI Punjab, Rising Pune Supergiant, and, most recently, the Rajasthan Royals.
What next for Ravi Ashwin?
Ashwin's decision to retire from the IPL comes less than a year after he hung up his boots for the national team, for whom he is their second-highest wicket-taker in Test matches, notching up 537 scalps in 106 games.
Only Anil Kumble has taken more wickets for the Men in Blue in the longest format than Ashwin, who also helped the team to the ICC World Cup title in 2011. Speaking to the media after his announcement, Ashwin said:
“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.”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India does not allow Indian cricketers to participate in other T20 leagues across the world, like the Big Bash and The Hundred. Thus, Ashwin's retirement now allows him to seek another challenge abroad.
