R Ashwin, a.k.a. Ravichandran Ashwin, a former Indian all-rounder, has also announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League. He said goodbye to international cricket, including Test cricket, during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the Australia tour in December last year. Recently, Ashwin and his last season’s franchise, Chennai Super Kings, came face to face. The issue was about South Africa’s young, explosive batsman Dewald Brevis, also known as Baby AB.
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R Ashwin’s dispute with CSK over Dewald Brevis
Actually, Ashwin had said on YouTube that the Chennai Super Kings had paid extra to sign Dewald Brevis as a replacement after a player’s injury in IPL 2025. According to the IPL rules, this should not have happened. When there was a sharp reaction from the fans on this, CSK was forced to issue a public statement. He said in his statement that the agreement was in accordance with the IPL rules.
Ashwin later clarified that his comments were misinterpreted and he intended to praise Brevis’ batting, not to accuse the franchise of financial irregularities. However, by then the controversy had gone too far. It was believed that the franchise would not retain Ashwin. Let us tell you that Ashwin also made his IPL debut for CSK, and he also played his last match for CSK.
Ashwin wrote this while announcing his retirement on Twitter
Ashwin, who made his IPL debut in 2009, while announcing his retirement, wrote, “Special day and hence a special beginning.” It is said that every end has a new beginning; my time as an IPL cricketer is ending today, but my time for various leagues is starting from today. It is believed from his statement that he is preparing to play in other leagues around the world.
He further wrote, “I would like to thank all the franchises for the wonderful memories and relationships I have had over the years, and most importantly, the BCCI, which has given me so far. Looking forward to enjoying whatever lies ahead and taking full advantage of it. Ashwin neither took the name of MS Dhoni in his statement nor talked about any franchise.
What did R Ashwin write in his tweet?
Ashwin wrote in his tweet that it was a special day and hence a special beginning. It is said that every end has a new beginning; my time as an IPL cricketer is ending today, but my time as a player in various leagues starts today. Thank you to all the franchises for the wonderful memories and relationships over the years. Thank you very much to IPL and BCCI for everything they have given me so far. Looking forward to enjoying and taking full advantage of whatever lies ahead.
R Ashwin’s Statistics in IPL
Talking about R Ashwin’s IPL career, he has played in 16 seasons in this league. In 16 seasons, he got a chance to play a total of 221 matches, where he took 187 wickets at an average of 30.22. During this, his best performance was 4 wickets for 34 runs, and he was able to take a four-wicket haul only once. On the other hand, talking about R Ashwin’s record in batting, he scored 833 runs there, and his highest score was 50 runs. He has a half-century to his name in this league.
Also Read: Rohit Sharma Announces Retirement from Test Cricket, Will Continue to Play in ODIs
3 Reasons Why R Ashwin Retired from IPL
R Ashwin recently gave shocking news to the fans. He came on social media and said that he is retiring from IPL. For years, R Ashwin has been playing in the Indian Premier League, and he has been a part of different teams. Now his journey from IPL is over, and there are some big reasons behind it. Let’s know about those 3 reasons why Ashwin announced his retirement from IPL.
1. R Ashwin was a flop in IPL 2025
R Ashwin finally returned to CSK through IPL 2025 after years of waiting. Ashwin was given a place in the team for a huge amount of 9.75 crores. His performance in the tournament was not very special. He played only 9 matches in the season and took 7 wickets. Ashwin was also dropped from the team at the end of the season. It was one of the most disappointing seasons for him. Ashwin must have realized that now he would probably fail to spread the same magic in IPL as before. That is why he retired.
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2. To play T20 leagues in other countries
R Ashwin himself said in his social media post related to IPL that his career as an IPL cricketer is over. However, he will be seen playing in different cricket leagues around the world. Actually, if an Indian player retires from all formats of cricket and the IPL, then he can play in other leagues. Ashwin wants to play in different leagues around the world. For this reason, he decided to say goodbye to IPL.
Also Read: Virat Kohli Says Goodbye to Test Cricket, Will Continue Playing in ODIs
3. R Ashwin’s focus on YouTube has increased
R Ashwin has shifted his focus to his YouTube channel in the last year. He runs his Hindi channel along with English. Here he talks about cricket. After retiring from international cricket, his full focus is on his social media. Videos were coming on his channel even during IPL. This is probably Ashwin’s retirement plan, and he may have decided to say goodbye to IPL to focus completely on this. His videos are quite interesting, as he provides some trusted news related to cricket via his YouTube channel.
R Ashwin was part of CSK’s team in IPL 2025
Ashwin was part of the Chennai Super Kings franchise in IPL 2025. CSK bought Ashwin for Rs 9.75 crore in the mega auction. However, his performance was not that good this time. In IPL 2025, Ashwin got a chance to play in 9 matches, where he took 7 wickets. Apart from CSK, Ashwin also played for Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, and Rising Pune Super Giants in this league.
R Ashwin is the third-highest wicket-taker for CSK
R Ashwin is at number five in terms of taking the most wickets in the IPL. At the same time, he is the third-highest wicket-taker for Chennai Super Kings. Playing for Chennai, Ashwin has taken 127 wickets in 130 matches at an average of 24.62. Dwayne Bravo’s name is at the top of this list; he has taken 154 wickets in 130 matches. Ravindra Jadeja’s name comes at number two. He has taken 152 wickets in 200 matches.
Ashwin Can be Seen in The Hundred
According to the rules of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), no active Indian domestic player can participate in foreign T20 leagues. But after withdrawing from the IPL, the way opens for the players. Recently, Dinesh Karthik also played in South Africa’s SA20 League after retiring from the IPL. According to reports, Ashwin can be seen playing in The Hundred.