Ravichandran Ashwin has called time on his IPL career as he has called it quits from this league while he wants to explore new opportunities in foreign leagues. Despite having a mediocre season in 2025, Ravichandran Ashwin was a giant in IPL and was an unsung hero in the tournament. It does feel like an end of an era. From making his mark in yellow with Chennai Super Kings to leading Punjab and reinventing himself at Rajasthan, Ashwin has done it all.
Ravichandran Ashwin wasn’t the aggressive fast bowler or the big six-hitter, but Ashwin brought brains into the game. With subtle variations, carrom balls and nerves of steel, Ashwin often turned matches on their head. Ashwin managed to pick up 187 wickets in 221 IPL games and fans still rave and talk about his bowling spells even today. We will today list out top 3 bowling spells for Ashwin in IPL after his retirement from the tournament.
3. 3/16 vs Royal Challengers Bangalore: IPL 2011 Final In Chennai.
This match is fondly remembered by all CSK fans as the Murali Vijay show as his fireworks lit up Chennai on that night. But the fans never forgot the Ravichandran Ashwin show and the magic he created with the ball. With a packed Chepauk roaring, Ashwin ripped through Bangalore’s top order. He bowled Mayank Agarwal with a classic off-spinner, dismissed Chris Gayle for a duck and then scalped Daniel Vettori the then RCB skipper.
He finished with figures of 3/16 in 4 overs in the IPL final. That was pure gold from the wily off-spinner. RCB never recovered and CSK lifted the trophy for the second straight year. Ashwin had announced himself on the big stage with his performance and showed he will be a man to contend with in years to come.
2. 3/16 vs Kolkata Knight Riders: IPL 2010 In Chennai
This was the breakthrough moment for Ravichandran Ashwin. It was in IPL 2010 when the wily off-spinner Ashwin really arrived and showed what a mettle he was made of. Up against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Chepauk, Ashwin spun a web that left Sourav Ganguly’s men clueless. He first stumped Chris Gayle with his spin that dipped and spun past the blade.
Thereafter, he trapped Brendon McCullum and David Hussey as well. His figures for the match read 3/16 in 4 overs, and he walked away with the Player of the Match award. It was from this moment, that his IPL journey took off and there was no looking back for the superstar from Tamil Nadu. He grew from strength to strength from this position and became a force to reckon with.
1. 4/34 vs Kings XI Punjab: IPL 2016 In Vizag.
We saved his best performance for the last and this was a rare occurrence that Ashwin got a 4-wicket haul in IPL. He did that in 2016 and did it with some style. He was playing for the Rising Pune Super Giants up against Kings XI Punjab. He literally ran through Punjab’s batting order. He first removed Hashim Amla, then knocked over Murali Vijay, he also sent Gurkeerat Singh Mann back before trapping David Miller in front LBW.
His 4/34 in 4 overs was the standout spell of the game. Though it came in a season to forget for the Pune franchise, Ashwin’s performance shone through like a lighthouse in the dark. It was a glimmer light at the end of a long tunnel. It showed what a craftsman and magician Ashwin was to the IPL and he mesmerised teams all these years.
So, these were his three best spells in IPL history. He has performed so very well that is difficult to shortlist just three of those performances out of many more that Ashwin produced over the years. But we tried our best in getting the three best spells of Ashwin in IPL history and in all those spells, he made the batters dance to his tunes for sure.
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