R Ashwin Announces Retirement from IPL Amid Trade Rumours, Plans to Play Overseas T20 Leagues

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Wednesday, August 27. He shared the news through his social media account. Over the course of his IPL career, the legendary off-spinner played 221 matches and took 187 wickets.

"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 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," Ashwin said.

Ravichandran Ashwin played for five different teams in the Indian Premier League and even got the chance to lead Punjab during his time there. Across his IPL journey, he turned out for Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiants, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals and finally Rajasthan Royals. He finishes his career as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in IPL history, only behind Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sunil Narine, and Piyush Chawla. With the bat, Ashwin also chipped in for Rajasthan Royals, scoring 833 runs, which included a fine half-century.

High Price Tag, High Expectations

Ashwin was bought by CSK for ₹9.75 crore in the 2025 mega auction, but he couldn’t deliver as expected, ending the season with just 7 wickets and 33 runs in 9 matches. Playing his final IPL season for his home team, he also found himself in controversy when his YouTube channel drew criticism for comments made about his teammate, Afghan spinner Noor Ahmad, during CSK’s tough run that year.

Prasanna suggested CSK didn’t need Noor Ahmad since they already had Ashwin and Jadeja, and could play an extra batter instead. This upset fans as Noor was the Purple Cap holder, and the backlash grew stronger because of Prasanna’s close ties with Ashwin. The channel later clarified that the views were only Prasanna’s and not Ashwin’s.

Ashwin announced his retirement just weeks after openly saying he was waiting for clarity from CSK about his future ahead of IPL 2026. “After each season, it’s the franchise’s duty to tell a player if they want to retain him or not. Every player deserves clarity. I don’t have anything in my control; I’m only asking for clarity from CSK,” he had said.

Ravichandran Ashwin IPL Career Stats (2009–2025)

Category	Value
Total IPL Matches	221 matches
Total Wickets	187 wickets
Total Runs (as Batsman)	833 runs
Highest Score	50
Fifties	1

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