Big news: Ravichandran Ashwin set to miss 2025/26 BBL, ruled out of entire tournament due to this reason

Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, who had joined the Sydney Thunder ahead of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2025/26 season and was all set to become the first Indian to play in the tournament, has now been ruled out of the competition due to a knee injury. The 39-year-old confirmed that he won't be featuring in the league through a post on his official Instagram account.

Ashwin remarked that he was very excited to play the BBL, but will now be going through a rehabilitation process instead. He also thanked the Sydney Thunder's players and coaching staff for their support.

ALSO READ: Not Harmanpreet Kaur or Pratika Rawal, these 3 Indians included in ICC Women's WC's Team of the Tournament

“I wanted to write this myself. While training in Chennai to prepare for the upcoming season, I hurt my knee. I've had a procedure, and the outcome means I will miss BBLI15. That is tough to say. I was genuinely excited to be part of this group and play in front of you,” Ashwin wrote in an Instagram post.

“For now, it is rehab, recovery, and doing the work to come back stronger. From my first chat with the club, I have felt only warmth from Trent, the staff, the players, and so many of you who have already reached out. Thank you for making me feel at home before a ball has been bowled,” he added.

“I will be watching every game and cheering for both our women's and men's teams. If rehab and travel line up, and only if the doctors are happy, I would love to be around later in the season and say hello in person. No promises. That is the intent. Please keep packing ENGIE Stadium and keep the noise up. Your support matters more than you know. Thank you for the love. Wishing both Thunder teams a big year," he concluded.

Ashwin out of Hong Kong Sixes

Another tournament that Ashwin will be missing due to his knee injury is the Hong Kong Sixes. He was expected to be one of if not the most experienced player present in the Indian team, but he will now be replaced by Robin Uthappa from the competition. Additionally, the 39-year-old was not able to find any buyers and went unsold in the ILT20 auction.

Ashwin's stellar career in IPL

Meanwhile, Ashwin had announced his retirement from IPL earlier this year in August after featuring for 16 seasons in the cash-rich league. He played for the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025 and achieved a lot of success in the eight seasons he played for them. Ashwin was present in the team that won consecutive IPL titles in 2010 and 2011 and he is also the fifth-highest wicket-takker in the tournament's history with 187 scalps under his name. Notably, he had also expressed his desire to play in overseas T20 leagues in social media post about IPL retirement.