A renowned bowling allrounder and legendary CSK player, Ravichandran Ashwin, has officially announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL). Marking an end to discussions surrounding his transition to another franchise from the Chennai Super Kings, the iconic offspinner has cleared his future plans to get into several leagues.
Known for tricky deliveries that often confuse batters, Ashwin has been instrumental for the initial CSK success. He was last featured in International cricket in 2024, having taken retirement from the national side across all cricket formats. Pulling down the curtain to a glorious IPL career, Ashwin clarified his intention through a Tweet on X on Wednesday (August 27) to make new beginnings after shutting down his 16-year-long IPL career, which started with his first edition in 2009 with CSK. “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😌.” Ashwin wrote.
Over the years, Ashwin played for 5 IPL teams, including the five-time IPL champion CSK, Rising Pune Supergiant, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals. He summed up his rewarding IPL career lasting for 221 matches, where he picked up 187 wickets at a remarkable economy rate of 7.20. Ashwin’s longest stint stretched with CSK, playing under MS Dhoni and subsequent skippers like Ruturaj Gaikwad. He also played the role of a captain for KXIP (now Punjab Kings) during 2018-19 when his act of mankad against Jos Buttler, featuring in Rajasthan Royals, turned into an immediate debate.
One of the pivotal seasons for Ashwn came during 2022 when he was traded to Rajasthan Royals as he was fit for the role of a power hitter, becoming the first batsman to make a call for retire out during an IPL match. He has one half-century in IPL, amassing an overall strike rate of 118.15. After a long gap of nine years, he was traded back to CSK for IPL 2025, marking the peak of his IPL bid worth INR 9.75 crore. In the last edition, he played 9 matches, taking seven wickets with the best bowling figure of 2 for 41.
As Ashwin has relieved himself from IPL responsibilities, he is open to exploring other avenues around the world. Tagging the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), he extended his gratitude. Since BCCI mandates a strict rule for an Indian cricketer to feature in SA20 and other overseas leagues, stating mandatory retirement from the national side and IPL, Ashwin is open to explore other global leagues that lie ahead of him.
Ravichandran Ashwin Bowling Stats in IPL
| Tournament | Teams | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL | 5 teams | 221 | 217 | 4710 | 5652 | 187 | 4/34 | 4/34 | 30.22 | 7.20 | 25.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Ravichandran Ashwin Batting Stats in IPL
| Tournament | Teams | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL | 5 teams | 221 | 98 | 34 | 833 | 50 | 13.01 | 705 | 118.15 | 0 | 1 | 64 | 29 | 52 | 0 |
