Ravichandran Ashwin had said that his journey as an “explorer of the game around various leagues begins” the day he announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) and it seems he is staying true to his word. After reported interest from The Hundred, Ashwin has said that he is intending to register himself for the International League T20 (ILT20) auction. The next season of the UAE league is set to run from December 2 to January 4 next year.
“Yes, I am in talks with the organisers. Hopefully, I will have a buyer if I register for the auction,” Ashwin told Cricbuzz. September 10 is the last date for enrolment to the auction. If Ashwin features this season, he will be the fourth Indian to feature in the tournament, and the second to have played in it. Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan had previously been picked but are yet to make their debut while Ambati Rayudu played eight games for MI Emirates.
Ashwin will, however, be the most succesfull Indian cricketer to have ever played in the league, having taken a whopping 765 international wickets in 287 matches in a 14-year career between 2010 and 2024. He has also scored 4394 runs at an average of 23.62 with six centuries.
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…
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) August 27, 2025
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Earlier, English media reported that Ashwin could turn out in The Hundred next season. Unlike the ILT20, Ashwin will be the first Indian to play in the tournament if the move goes through. A report on The Daily Telegraph said that it “understands that Ashwin would be eager to play in next season’s Hundred tournament.”
“Ashwin plans to play in several leagues around the world over the coming years, and has identified the Hundred as a competition in which he would be eager to appear,” the report stated.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik retired from Indian cricket and appeared for Paarl Royals in the last edition of the SA20 league. Getting top Indian names for their domestic competitions has been the aspiration of boards around the cricketing world to attract eyeballs, social media attention and advertisers, but BCCI doesn’t allow its players to turn out in leagues in direct competition with the IPL unless they retire from all forms of Indian cricket – international as well as domestic.
IPL giant
Ashwin began and ended his IPL career with his home franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK), playing a key role in successive titles in 2010 and 2011. He also has two Champions League T20 crowns (2010 and 2014). He also turned out for Rising Pune Super Giants, Delhi Capitals, Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals. In 221 games since making his IPL debut in 2009, he managed 187 scalps, making him the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the league’s history, conceding only 7.20 runs an over in the batsman-friendly format.
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In the 2025 season, the 38-year-old played nine games, getting seven wickets at an average of 40.43 and an economy of 9.13. Not playing regularly had prompted Ashwin to seek clarity on his role with the franchise.
