Ravichandran Ashwin Set to Make History with Sydney Thunder in BBL 2025/26

Sydney Thunder is set to make history in the Big Bash League with a groundbreaking signing. Ravichandran Ashwin, one of India’s top spinners, has agreed to join the team for the upcoming season.

The 39-year-old, who retired from the IPL earlier this year, is now able to play in overseas leagues, paving the way for this big move. The club is expected to make an official announcement later this week. The veteran off-spinner, who sits fifth on the all-time IPL wicket-takers list with 187 scalps, will link up with the Thunder after completing his commitments in the ILT20, which concludes on January 4.

Ashwin will become the highest-profile Indian cricketer to feature in the BBL, following in the footsteps of Unmukt Chand, who played briefly for the Melbourne Renegades in 2021/22 after shifting allegiance to the United States. For Sydney Thunder, this signing is a huge boost. It not only adds strength to their spin attack with Chris Green, Tom Andrews, and Tanveer Sangha, but it’s also likely to draw in Australia’s large Indian community, helping sell more tickets and increasing TV viewership. The Sydney Thunder team also has Pakistani all-rounder Shadab Khan.

Ashwin and Shadab Khan Together in Sydney Thunder Squad for BBL 2025/26

The leg-spinner, who has taken 14 wickets in the tournament, joined the team through the draft along with Lockie Ferguson in June. It will be interesting to see Ashwin and Shadab in the same dressing room, especially after the recent social media trend of ‘boycott’. Earlier, Suryakumar Yadav faced heavy criticism for shaking hands with Pakistan captain Salman Agha and Mohsin Naqvi at the Asia Cup captain’s press conference. Fans should remember that this is not Ashwin’s decision to make. Ashwin’s involvement does come with scheduling challenges. The ILT20 kicks off on December 2 and ends on January 4, while the BBL begins on December 14. This means the off-spinner will only be available for the latter half of the Australian competition.

Still, his arrival is perfectly timed for the Thunder’s push towards the business end of the tournament, including a blockbuster Sydney derby against the Sixers on January 16, where he could face Steve Smith and Babar Azam.

Since Ashwin didn’t enter this year’s BBL overseas player draft, Cricket Australia (CA) will have to give him a special exemption, much like they did for Martin Guptill in 2022. But because Ashwin is such a big name and can attract fans from around the world, getting this approval is expected to be straightforward. On the spin-friendly pitch at Sydney Showground, where slow bowlers only gave away 6.60 runs per over last season, Ashwin’s skill and clever bowling could make a big difference.

Sydney Thunders Big Bash League squad 2025/26: David Warner (C), Wes Agar, Tom Andrews, Cameron Bancroft, Sam Billings, Ollie Davies, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Ryan Hadley, Sam Konstas, Nathan McAndrew, Daniel Sams, Tanveer Sangha, Shadab Khan, Ravichandran Ashwin

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