India's legendary off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Ashwin made the announcement on August 27, months ahead of the mini-auction for the 2026 edition.
"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 wrote on his social media handle.
"Would like to thank all the franchisees for all the wonderful memories and relationships over the years and most importantly the @IPL and the @BCCI for what they have given me until now. Look forward to enjoying and making the most of what’s ahead of me."
Ashwin also announced that he will be playing in T20 franchise leagues across the globe after retiring from the IPL.
He was roped in for Rs 9.75 crore by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2025 mega auction but was not at his best. CSK ended up finishing at the bottom of the points table for the first time in the IPL.
Ashwin's IPL career
Ashwin made his IPL debut in 2009 and played just two games in the season. He became a regular in the side since 2010 season. He won two IPL titles with CSK. He retired as CSK's third-highest wicket-taker. After CSK's two-year ban, he played for now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS). He also led Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings). He joined Delhi Capitals (DC) for two seasons before getting roped in Rajasthan Royals (RR) where he played for three editions under Sanju Samson's captaincy. He moved back to CSK in IPL 2025 and claimed seven wickets from nine games.
Ashwin's IPL statistics
Ashwin retires as fourth-highest wicket-taker in IPL history. He has 187 wickets from 221 games at an average of 30.22, including one four-wicket haul. His economy rate in the league is an impressive 7.20 runs per over.