Why did R Ashwin retire from the IPL?: Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bid adieu to IPL cricket on August 27, Wednesday, through a social media post.
The Tamil Nadu off-spinner is one of the few players who have been part of the IPL since its inaugural season in 2008 and has featured for five different teams, including captaining one.
R Ashwin made his IPL debut in 2009 for Chennai Super Kings, his home city, under MS Dhoni. He was at CSK until 2015, before the franchise got a two-year suspension. Ashwin played key roles in CSK’s title-winning campaigns in 2010 and 2011; in the 2011 final, he dismissed the dangerous RCB opener Chris Gayle for a duck in his first over to set up CSK’s victory.
Ashwin then played for Rising Pune Supergiant, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals and led Punjab in 2018 and 2019.
He returned to CSK for IPL 2025 after being purchased for a huge sum of INR 9.75 crore. However, he had his worst IPL season. Ashwin featured in nine games for CSK, the first time since 2009 that he was part of fewer than 12 matches in a season, and returned with an economy of 9.12, the worst of his IPL career.
R Ashwin bows out as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in IPL history with 187 wickets, which he claimed in 221 matches at an average of 30 and an economy rate of 7.2 runs per over. Ashwin won two IPL trophies, in 2010 and 2011 with CSK. He was a core group member of the CSK team until 2015, along with MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, and Ravindra Jadeja.
Why did R Ashwin retire from the IPL?
In his IPL retirement post, Ashwin clearly mentioned that he will be looking for opportunities in overseas T20 leagues.
Ashwin’s Tamil Nadu teammate and friend Dinesh Karthik, who retired from IPL and Indian cricket last year, has already featured in the SA20 in South Africa, and Ashwin could follow Karthik in the T20 franchise circuit.
Ashwin wrote, “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.
“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.”
Given his experience and skillset and his zeal to become the “explorer of the game,” we could see Ashwin taking part in the BBL in Australia, the SA20 in South Africa, the CPL in the West Indies, the MLC in the USA, the Hundred in England, and other T20 leagues across the globe.
Ashwin retired from international cricket last year during the tour of Australia.
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