R Ashwin called time on his playing career in the Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier this week. R Ashwin, who last played for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 2025 edition of the IPL, revealed that he would be open to playing in overseas leagues. Until he quit international cricket, his participation in overseas leagues wasn’t possible while he was still playing in the IPL. Hence, to explore the opportunity of playing in overseas leagues like the Big Bash League (BBL), SA20, or other franchise tournaments, R Ashwin had to also quit the IPL.
In the IPL, R Ashwin was one of the brightest minds to play the game, making his debut for Chennai Super Kings in 2009. His last appearance also came in the yellow jersey in IPL 2025, after rejoining CSK for Rs 9.75 crore following a decade-long gap. Overall, R Ashwin featured in 220 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.
R Ashwin was an integral member of CSK’s 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 career in the league. Following his retirement, R Ashwin opens up on his favorite moment in the IPL .
R Ashwin opens up on his favorite IPL moment after retirement from T20 League
Former India international off-spinner R Ashwin recently came forward and announced his retirement from the IPL (Indian Premier League). After 16 years in the tournament, R Ashwin will no longer be participating as a player, with his final year in the competition coming with the side that he made his debut with, Chennai Super Kings.
After he retired from the IPL, R Ashwin took centre stage and talked about his favourite moment from the competition. He revealed that watching the very first IPL auction is his favourite moment from the tournament’s history. He branded the IPL auction as the most exciting thing that he has ever seen. It is worth noting that Ashwin was roped in by CSK in IPL 2009, and the veteran went on to play eight seasons with the franchise in total. He said on’Ash ki Baat ‘ :
“My favourite memory is when I saw the first IPL auction. When players were being sold. When I saw players being sold on TV, it opened up my eyes. It was fascinating for me. That will be my everlasting memory. The IPL auction has to be the single most exciting thing I have seen in the game.”
“Whoever did that, massive, massive respect for both the BCCI and IPL for what they have rolled out. It has to be one of the most incredible products of the game available in the market. Through an auction, it attracted the entire world”.
The 2008 Auction saw some of the best Indian and overseas players go under the hammer for the first time. MS Dhoni had emerged as the most expensive Indian player, going to CSK for $1.5 million. The late Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds was the highest-paid overseas player in the inaugral IPL Auction for $1.35 million.
Furthermore, the 38-year-old R Ashwin revealed his parents’ reaction to the news of his IPL retirement. He had told his parents about his plan to retire a month before announcing it and even stated that his mother questioned his decision.
”The tweet that I put out, my parents have travelled a lot with me in my journey. I only called them to inform them about my IPL retirement after putting out the tweet. In fact, they called and asked me, ‘Have you retired from the IPL?’. I had informed them 25-30 days back that I had such thoughts in my mind.
Then my father said, ‘Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it’. My mother asked me, ‘Why? Someone else can take you in the auction’. I said, ‘No, I strongly feel about the decision (retirement).’ That was it,” Ashwin said.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin revealed that while he contemplated the possibility of playing another season, he eventually decided against it as he was not ready to play rigorous cricket for three long months.
“I was thinking if I can play IPL next year. Three months of IPL is a little too much for me. It’s draining. This is one of the reasons why I’m awe-struck by seeing someone like MS Dhoni. As you grow older, the bandwidth to play IPL becomes lesser. Three months of cricket isn’t easy—you have to travel, play matches, and let your body recover after the matches,” concluded R Ashwin.
With R Ashwin no longer a BCCI-contracted player, he is unlikely to face any issue participating in The Hundred. For the unversed, BCCI’s rules bar India’s male cricketers from participating in overseas T20 leagues, unless they retire from Indian cricket at all levels. However, women cricketers face no such issue, and in the past, several Indian female stars have featured in The Hundred.
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