Veteran India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Wednesday announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League, bringing the curtains down on a 16-year-long association with the tournament months after saying goodbye to international cricket.
Ashwin made the announcement through a social media post.
"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 posted on X.
"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," he added.
In the IPL, he was one of the brightest minds to play the game, making his debut for Chennai Super Kings in 2009. His last appearance too came in the yellow jersey in IPL 2025, after rejoining CSK for Rs 9.75 crore following a decade-long gap.
CSK paid an emotional tribute in a social media post.
"Chepauk’s own.The carrom-ball thiruppura-sundaran! From your first run-ups in Yellove on the dusty tracks of Anbuden to absolute spin domination in the world’s grandest arenas, you’ve given us everything.
"You’ve pillared our legacy and made Fortress Chepauk roar like no other! You truly have the streets, Ashwin!” the franchise posted.
The announcement came amid speculations earlier this month that were rife over Ashwin's future at Chennai Super Kings after an underwhelming IPL 2025 season, where he played only nine matches -- his second lowest in a season since he featured in just two games in his debut in 2009.
Amid talk of a possible trade involving Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson, the veteran off-spinner had admitted he had sought clarity from CSK on his role.
"Last year, I played only nine games; in all my years of playing in the IPL, that was the first year I played just nine games. I always used to play every game... so it was my first experience like that.
"I asked for clarity from my side, but I asked for it during the IPL season itself,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel in a podcast with Sanju.
The 38-year-old acknowledged the buzz around a possible trade with Samson but stressed that much of it was outside the players’ control.
"If Samson’s trade is to happen, CSK will have to keep 18 crores free, and then you have to see who you can release to make that space,” he said.
"If tomorrow I’m not in the CSK team, it might benefit them — there’s no doubt about that. But it can’t all be about me. Right now, there is nothing in my hand. And all these rumours do not come from the player... there are a lot of layers to this.” Ashwin had retired from international cricket in December last year during the tour of Australia after a decorated career that saw him become India's second-highest wicket-taker (537) in Tests behind Anil Kumble (619).
Overall, he featured in 221 IPL matches, taking 187 wickets at an average of 30.22 with best figures of 4/34. With the bat, he scored 833 runs with a highest of 50 and an average of 13.02.
Highs and lows
Ashwin was an integral member of CSK's successive title-winning campaigns in 2010 and 2011 and also turned out for the now defunct Rising Pune Supergiant, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals during his long career in the league.
Some of Ashwin's finest IPL moments came in his early years with CSK, especially bowling in the Powerplay against marauding batters like Chris Gayle and keeping them quiet.
It was in his first three seasons under MS Dhoni that Ashwin's carrom ball flourished, eventually propelling him into the Indian team.
In the later years, Ashwin switched franchises as there were captaincy ambitions and he even briefly captained Punjab Kings.
But as the league evolved, his attacking mindset and constant experimentation sometimes came at a cost with his stock falling in the later years.
With IPL batters adopting an attacking philosophy, franchises increasingly favoured wicket-to-wicket left-arm orthodox spinners who could also chip in with the bat. It was an area where Ashwin’s returns dipped with the bat. Despite that, his comeback to CSK in 2024-25 after a decade following an intense bidding war was one of the big stories of the mega auction, driven largely by CSK patriarch N Srinivasan's wish to bring one of the franchise's protéges back.
Ashwin’s IPL career also had its share of controversy.
The 2019 'Mankad' dismissal of Rajasthan Royals' Jos Buttler while playing for Kings XI Punjab sparked a widespread debate on "spirit of cricket." The two later buried the hatchet when Ashwin joined Buttler at Rajasthan Royals in 2022.
