Killing two birds with one stone, Ashwin retires from IPL, free to open up more on YouTube!
“Special day and hence a special beginning.” This first sentence from Ravichandran Ashwin’s post on social media signalled his exit from the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a good omen. Thursday being Ganesha Chaturti, Ashwin made it clear he is looking for fresher opportunities, which hints at playing in the T20 leagues abroad. It could even be something more than just being a player.
The BCCI mandates that for any Indian player to compete overseas, he has to stop all cricket at home. Ashwin had retired from Tests, abruptly, in Australia, on December 18, 2024, during the BGT Series. While exiting from the Indian Premier League, where in 221 matches he took 187 wickets, Ashwin feels he can still chip in as a shrewd bowler.
A fortnight back, Ashwin had made it clear he was quitting Chennai Super Kings, after migrating there from Rajasthan Royals for the 2025 IPL season. Going by stats, it is clear, Ashwin did not get to play as many matches as possible in the 2025 season, even as CSK did badly. Reasons for it were varying, but Ruturaj Gaikwad getting injured and MS Dhoni taking over as captain saw Ashwin playing fewer matches. To be precise, he played only nine.
Now almost 39, Ashwin understands the demand for younger and fitter players will increase. The best part, he has decided to move on from the IPL without any hard feelings. His post on social media reflects gratitude and thanks his franchises in the IPL as well as the BCCI.
For the record, on June 6, 2025 Piyush Chawla had retired from all forms of cricket. Whether Chawla also heads to overseas leagues or not is not sure, Ashwin will surely have chances of competing abroad. The way T20 leagues have mushroomed abroad is crazy. Strangely, even as team owners in the IPL have allowed themselves to ‘purchase’ teams abroad, Indian players do not have that freedom. Someone like Chris Gayle milked the system where he was playing in multiple T20 leagues around the globe and enjoying himself. Indian cricketers are not allowed to do it.
In many ways, Ashwin has been smart, just the way he bowls. He would have had a chat with the CSK bosses, since his return to the team for the 2025 season was hyped. That he did not get to play after migrating from Rajasthan Royals must have been disappointing. Ashwin is not the sort of player who wants to sit idle. That was also the reason why he walked out of the Test squad Down Under. Not getting picked and being made to feel he is going to fit into the scheme of things, Ashwin packed up and flew back to Chennai.
It is also to be noted, Ashwin has been using his YouTube channel very smartly, where he waxes eloquently in Tamil as well as Hindi. He believes in calling a spade a spade. Retirement from cricket at home means he will be free from all restrictions. So, the latest move from Ashwin is like killing two birds with one stone.
For those who have tracked Ashwin’s career, his case is one of not having been rewarded as much as he deserved. Then again, whether Ashwin plays abroad in T20 leagues or takes on a bigger role like coach/mentor cannot be discounted. He still plays in the Tamil Nadu Premier League.
