Ravichandran Ashwin Bids Farewell to Indian Cricket, Will No Longer Play in the IPL

Published on: Aug 27, 2025 4:38 pm IST|Updated on: Aug 27, 2025 4:51 pm IST

Ravichandran Ashwin
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Former Indian off-spinner and one of the IPL veterans, Ravichandran Ashwin, has decided to bid adieu to Indian cricket, which means he won’t feature in any of the Indian domestic competitions, including the cash-rich extravaganza Indian Premier League (IPL). The 38-year-old veteran took to his official X handle to announce his decision.

“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,”

He further added,

“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.”

Ravichandran Ashwin’s IPL career at a glance

Ravichandran Ashwin broke into the glitter of IPL in the second season, i.e., 2009, for Chennai Super Kings. Belonging to Tamil Nadu, he was picked as a local player in CSK for ₹12 Lakh. Although he represented the side in only 2 games and picked up a solitary wicket, but got his reckoning quickly when he burst into the Indian cricket scene.

His breakthrough season came in 2011 for Chennai Super Kings, where he ended the season with 20 scalps from just 16 matches and was the key architect in CSK’s second IPL triumph in a row. Below is a table featuring Ashwin’s season-wise bowling record,

Ravichandran Ashwin – IPL Season-Wise Bowling Record

SeasonTeamMatchesWicketsBest FiguresEconomyAverage
2009Chennai Super Kings211/136.5026.00
2010Chennai Super Kings12133/246.1022.15
2011Chennai Super Kings16203/166.1019.40
2012Chennai Super Kings17143/236.5027.00
2013Chennai Super Kings18152/186.7230.70
2014Chennai Super Kings16163/307.3027.31
2015Chennai Super Kings13102/55.8422.80
2016Rising Pune Supergiant14104/347.2531.90
2017— (Injured)
2018Punjab Kings14102/188.0941.00
2019Punjab Kings14153/237.2726.66
2020Delhi Capitals15133/297.6630.07
2021Delhi Capitals1372/277.4147.28
2022Rajasthan Royals17123/177.5041.91
2023Rajasthan Royals13142/237.5126.28
2024Rajasthan Royals1493/248.4951.88
2025Chennai Super Kings972/419.1240.42

Career Totals: 221 Matches | 187 Wickets | Economy: 7.20 | Best: 4/34 | Average: 30.23

Now, let’s move ahead and take a look at some of the vital stats of Ravichandran Ashwin’s IPL journey.

Teams Played & Duration

TeamSeasons PlayedMatchesWickets
Chennai Super Kings2009–2015, 202510697
Rising Pune Supergiant20161410
Punjab Kings2018–20192825
Delhi Capitals2020–20212820
Rajasthan Royals2022–20244535

Bowling Stats vs IPL Opponents

OpponentMatchesWicketsBest FiguresEconomy
Royal Challengers Bangalore23253/166.85
Mumbai Indians22213/297.10
Kolkata Knight Riders21243/166.95
Punjab Kings20194/347.25
Delhi Capitals18173/236.90
Rajasthan Royals17152/237.35
Sunrisers Hyderabad15143/307.20
Lucknow Super Giants432/187.50
Gujarat Titans322/207.60

Top 5 Bowling Performances

MatchFiguresOpponentYearVenue
Rising Pune vs Punjab Kings4/34Punjab Kings2016Pune
Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (IPL Final)3/16Royal Challengers2011Chennai
Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders3/16Kolkata Knight Riders2009Kolkata
Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils3/23Delhi Daredevils2012Chennai
Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders2/5Kolkata Knight Riders2015Chennai

IPL Salary History

YearTeamSalary (INR)
2008–2010Chennai Super Kings₹12 lakh
2011–2013Chennai Super Kings₹3.91 crore
2014–2015Chennai Super Kings₹7.5 crore
2016–2017Rising Pune Supergiant₹7.5 crore
2018–2019Punjab Kings₹7.6 crore
2020–2021Delhi Capitals₹7.6 crore
2022–2024Rajasthan Royals₹5 crore/year
2025Chennai Super Kings₹9.75 crore

Ravichandran Ashwin has already retired from International cricket

The veteran off-spinner has already hung up his boots in International cricket. The 38-year-old announced his retirement from International cricket last year in December 2024, midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 vs Australia. Immediately after the third Test in Brisbane, which ended in a draw, Ashwin announced his retirement from International cricket in a press conference and returned home the following day.

Although he was part of the squad initially, Ashwin did not feature in any of the five Tests against Australia. His decision to retire mid-series was influenced by prolonged periods of sitting out and a desire to spend more time with family, as he later revealed in a conversation with Rahul Dravid.

India went on to lose the series 1–4, with Jasprit Bumrah emerging as the standout performer for the visitors. Ashwin’s absence was felt, especially on spin-friendly tracks like Adelaide and Melbourne, where India struggled to contain Australia’s middle order.

Ashwin’s International Career Highlights:

  • Tests: 106 matches 537 wickets, Avg: 24, 37 five-wicket hauls, and 8 ten-wicket match hauls
  • ODIs: 116 matches 156 wickets, Best: 4/25, Avg: 33.20
  • T20Is: 65 matches 72 wickets, Economy: 6.90

What’s next for Ashwin?

Being one of the stalwarts of the game, Ravichandran Ashwin hinted in his statement made on X that he might be open to playing cricket outside India. With almost every country now having its own standalone T20 franchise leagues, Ashwin is expected to explore possibilities outside the country now.

T20 franchise cricket leagues like SA20, Caribbean Premier League, Big Bash League, ILT10, Major League Cricket, The Hundred, etc., are some of the most exciting T20 leagues going around, and Ashwin might look to trade his ploy in any of them in the foreseeable future. We at IndiaFantasy wish him all the luck for his future endeavors.

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