Published on: Nov 4, 2025 4:30 pm IST|Updated on: Nov 4, 2025 4:39 pm IST
In a major setback to his maiden Big Bash League stint, former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been ruled out of the competition due to a knee injury. The 39-year-old picked up a knee injury while training in Chennai as a part of BBL’s preparation.
Ashwin took to his social media accounts to announce the news of his unavailability for BBL 2025. Had he been available for the tournament, he could have become the first-ever Indian cricketer to play in Australia’s premier T20 franchise competition. Ashwin, who retired from International cricket in December 2024 mid-way during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 and then from the Indian Premier League in August this year, was set to represent the Sydney Thunder in his maiden BBL stint. Taking to social media, he wrote,
“I was genuinely excited to be a part of this group and play in front of you,” Ashwin wrote to the Australian cricket fans. “For now, it is rehab, recovery and doing the work to come back stronger. From my first chat with the club, I’ve felt only warmth, from Trent, the staff, the players, and so many of you who already reached out. Thank you for making me feel at home even before a ball has been bowled.
“I will be watching all the games, and cheering for both our women’s and men’s teams. If rehab and travel line up, and only if the doctors are happy, I would love to be around later in the season and say hello in person. No promises. That is the intent.”
Ravichandran Ashwin is a master of his craft. Having scalped as many as 537 wickets in 106 Test matches for his country, he was widely recognized as a wizard with the red ball. Talking about his International T20 numbers, in 65 games, he scalped 72 wickets with an economy of 6.90.
Ashwin played the majority of his domestic T20 cricket in the Indian Premier League. His illustrious IPL career, which lasted for 17 seasons, saw him playing for as many as five different franchises. His IPL career comprised of 221 matches wherein he picked up 187 wickets at an economy of 7.20. Let’s take a look at Ashwin’s IPL numbers,
The 15th season of the Big Bash League is all set to be played from December 14. The 5-time champions, Perth Scorchers, will be locking horns against the 3-time champions, Sydney Sixers, at the Optus Stadium in Perth. These two teams have a decorated rivalry as they are the two most successful teams in the league’s history with the most titles.