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Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Wednesday announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL), bringing an end to a career that lasted over 15 years.
The 38-year-old confirmed his decision through a post on X, formerly Twitter, saying he is grateful for his journey in the IPL and is now looking forward to playing in other franchise leagues around the world.
“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. 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 wrote.
Ashwin made his IPL debut in 2009 for his home team Chennai Super Kings (CSK) under MS Dhoni’s captaincy. He quickly became a key bowler with his variations, especially the famous carrom ball, and played a major role in CSK’s title wins in 2010 and 2011. Dhoni trusted him with the new ball in the 2011 final, where he dismissed Chris Gayle.
After CSK’s suspension in 2016, Ashwin represented Rising Pune Supergiant but missed the 2017 season due to injury. He later captained Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2018 and 2019, where his ‘Mankading’ dismissal of Jos Buttler sparked debate on the spirit of cricket.
Ashwin also played for Delhi Capitals before joining Rajasthan Royals in 2022, where he became the first player in IPL history to be tactically ‘retired out’.
In 2025, CSK bought him back for INR 9.75 crore at the mega auction. However, his final season was disappointing, as he managed only seven wickets in nine games and CSK finished at the bottom of the table.
Over his IPL career, Ashwin played 221 matches and took 187 wickets at an economy rate of 7.20, making him the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the league’s history. With the bat, he scored 833 runs, including one half-century.
He was also successful in the Champions League T20, claiming 30 wickets in 24 matches and helping CSK win titles in 2010 and 2014.
