Ravichandran Ashwin recently opened up about his sudden decision to retire from the Indian Premier League (IPL) after a remarkable 16-season journey in the tournament. The legendary Indian spinner officially ended his IPL career on August 27, concluding his eight-season stint with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). During the latest IPL season, Ashwin’s impact was modest, taking just seven wickets in nine matches for CSK. While there had been speculation about whether the 38-year-old would separate from the franchise before the next season, he chose to retire from the league altogether.
Explaining his retirement decision, Ashwin revealed that he no longer possesses the energy required for a three-month-long IPL season. “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 less,” Ashwin shared on his YouTube channel.
Still Exploring
In his retirement announcement, Ashwin made clear that while his IPL career has ended, his journey as a player in foreign T20 leagues is just beginning. The 38-year-old looks set to continue featuring in overseas competitions.
He posted on social media, “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.”
Ashwin’s IPL career statistics are impressive, with 221 matches played and 187 wickets taken, making him the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the league’s history. Over his career, he represented five different franchises, spending the most time with Chennai Super Kings across eight seasons. His tenure with CSK was marked by notable success, including consecutive IPL championships in 2010 and 2011.This retirement marks the close of a significant chapter in Ashwin’s career, but it appears he is still eager to explore opportunities in leagues beyond the IPL. According to a Cricbuzz report, Ashwin is not just considering playing overseas but is also looking to take on a player-coach role. With abundant experience in the shortest format, he aims to broaden his horizons by embracing coaching opportunities that may arise in these foreign leagues.
