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On August 27, 2025, Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ashwin expressed his desire to play in overseas leagues and has already put his name in the ILT20 auction. Often on the opponent side of Ashwin, former South Africa captain AB de Villiers paid a tribute to the legendary off-spinner. While De Villiers understands how franchises operate, De Villiers feels Ashwin should have never left Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with whom he won two IPL trophies.
"Stellar career. It has got to be said, what a wonderful player. What a scientist of the game. A doctor, professor of the game. He always took it to the limits of the rules book. Generally got it right, even though he was frowned upon a little bit. I have a lot of respect for guys who study the game, and he was one of such cricketers," said de Villiers during a 360 Live session on X.
"Incredible skill. A huge player and icon in India. He won so many games for Team India and CSK over the years. He played for other teams but never felt settled at those teams. In my opinion, he should have always stayed at CSK. Obviously, it was not up to him, as a lot of things go into that retention, all kinds of team selection. But I will always remember him as a yellow jersey guy," he added.
How many IPL times Ashwin has represented?
Ashwin made his IPL debut in 2009 and played for CSK till 2015. When CSK were suspended for two years, he was roped in by now-defunct Rising Pune Super Giants (RPS). He led Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) before moving to Delhi Capitals (DC) and then Rajasthan Royals (RR). In IPL 2025 mega auction, he was roped back in for a huge bid of Rs 9.75 crore.
Ashwin’s record for CSK
The 38-year-old Ashwin played 130 games for CSK and took 127 wickets at an average of 24.62, including one four-wicket haul. His economy rate was an impressive 6.82 runs per over.
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