India’s legendary off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) sent shockwaves into the T20 franchises across the globe. The ‘explorer’ Ashwin expressed that he wants to play in other T20 leagues. On his YouTube channel, Ashwin said that there is a chance that he plays in a few leagues after bidding goodbye his long IPL career. After registering for the ILT20 auction, Ashwin may feature in this year’s Big Bash League (BBL) on Australian soil.
Cricket Australia (CA) CEO Todd Greenberg is keen to get Ashwin into the BBL. While Unmukt Chand is the first Indian cricketer to play in the BBL, getting someone as high profile as Ashwin can be good to get millions of eyeballs to BBL matches.
"To get someone with Ashwin's credentials to come over here for the BBL will be great at so many levels. He's a champion cricketer who will bring a lot to the Big Bash and to our cricket summer," Greenberg told Cricbuzz.
While Ashwin can be on the wishlist of several BBL teams, there is a big roadblock in him getting roped in by one of them. The franchises have already spent a majority of their purse during the draft.
Ashwin’s T20 record
Ashwin is one of the leading Indian wicket-takers in the T20 format (T20Is, franchise T20s and domestic T20s). He has 317 wickets from 333 games at an average of 26.94, including four four-wicket hauls. His economy rate of 7.11 runs per over is impressive. He is handy with bat as a floater. The 38-year-old has scored 1,233 runs from 139 innings at an average of 14.50 and strike rate of 119.59, including one half-century.
Ashwin’s Australian connection and T20I record there
Ashwin’s last international appearance was on the Australian soil. He played his last Test in Adelaide, a pink-ball Test. Interestingly, his last ODI appearance was against Australia. So far, the spin-bowling all-rounder has played 11 T20Is in Australia, taking 11 wickets at an average of 27.54 and conceding runs at 7.76 runs per over.