If there’s one lesson learnt in the years of following Ravichandran Ashwin, it’s that there will always be drama attached to him. The man never fails to entertain his fans, whether it’s being highly talented in bamboozling batters with his variations or bringing his strong cricketing brain to every game. So, when CSK announced Ashwin had announced his IPL retirement on August 27, 2025, raising eyebrows from every cricket fan asking themselves – why? Why now? Was this the right decision?
One team’s headache could’ve been another team’s jackpot
Ashwin’s second spell with CSK did not go to plan. The homecoming fans had hoped for, ultimately did not materialize as Ashwin struggled for wickets and form. To be fair, though, Ashwin did bowl at times in phases that did not suit him. With Jadeja untouchable and Noor Ahmad stealing the spotlight, Ashwin became the extra wheel in a team crying out for balance rather than more spin.
Here’s the thing: several IPL teams would’ve gladly snapped him up if CSK had let him go before the 2026 auction. In the IPL, an experienced Indian spinner with batting skills is a luxury few teams can afford to miss. They free up overseas slots for fast bowlers and big hitters while bringing invaluable know-how to the side.
His form wasn’t as bad as it looked on paper
Ashwin struggled to make an impact in IPL 2025, claiming just seven wickets across nine outings while leaking runs early in the innings. But let’s dig deeper.
When forced to bowl inside the first six overs, Ashwin’s economy ballooned to 12.44, and he averaged 112 runs per wicket—ouch. But take him out of that role, let him bowl in the middle overs where spinners usually operate, and suddenly the numbers paint a different picture: six wickets at an average of 22 with an economy under eight.
And let us not overlook the Tamil Nadu Premier League earlier this season. He took 13 wickets in 10 matches, made close to 300 runs with an upward strike rate of 150, and even scored a couple of fifties.
Players like Ashwin don’t come around every season
All-rounders who can bowl tight overs and swing the bat are like unicorns in the IPL—everyone wants one, and hardly anyone finds one. Washington Sundar is perhaps the only other Indian off-spinning all-rounder with comparable skill, but injuries have often held him back. Ashwin, in contrast, has experience, superb cricketing intelligence, and can play multiple roles. He’s batted in all the positions from 3 to 8.
Even though Ashwin’s retirement from the IPL vaguely resembles an ending to a book, leaving me with (the kind of) hopelessness that endings often leave behind, mainly because it doesn’t feel like an ending at all, it does feel like something that was never written. Perhaps that chapter of T20 could have been written if only he were in some other capacity, with some other team, with some other folks.
What do you think—is this a good time for Ashwin to retire, or is this the IPL losing a legend too soon?
FAQs
- Why is Ashwin’s retirement seen as a wrong move?
Because he still had skills, experience, and demand from other franchises.
- Which IPL franchises could be interested in Ashwin if he goes under the hammer in 2026?
Teams like Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants would likely have shown interest.
- What made Ashwin valuable beyond bowling?
His batting flexibility and cricketing intelligence made him a true all-rounder.
