Chennai Super Kings (CSK) off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Wednesday.
Ashwin expressed his gratitude to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and IPL for all the “wonderful memories” and relationships he built over the years.
“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. 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 on X.
Ashwin was acquired by CSK at the mega auction 2025 for Rs 97.5 million. He played nine matches for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025, taking seven wickets and conceding runs at an economy rate of 9.13.
This IPL season was also his costliest year, as he went for 9.12 runs an over, marking the first time his economy rate exceeded 8.49.
Ashwin ranks as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the IPL, with 201 wickets in 239 matches at an average of 30.94. Before rejoining CSK in 2025, he played for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals.
Last year, Ashwin announced his retirement from Test cricket during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The veteran all-rounder shocked the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from international cricket following the draw in the third Test at Brisbane.
In 106 Tests for India, the legendary all-rounder took 537 wickets at an average of 24.00, with best figures of 7/59. He claimed 37 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-wicket match hauls in his Test career.
He is the eighth-highest wicket-taker in Tests overall and the second-highest for India, trailing only Anil Kumble (619 wickets). Ashwin also holds the record for the second-most five-wicket hauls in Tests, after Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan (67).
With the bat, Ashwin scored 3,503 runs at an average of 25.75, including six centuries and 14 fifties in 151 innings, with a highest score of 124.
In 116 ODIs, Ashwin took 156 wickets at an average of 33.20, with best figures of 4/25. He also scored 707 runs at an average of 16.44, including one fifty, a knock of 65 in 63 innings. He is the 13th-highest wicket-taker for India in the format. Across all formats, Ashwin took 765 wickets in 287 matches, making him India’s second-highest wicket-taker after Anil Kumble (953 wickets).
Ashwin was also a key member of the Indian team that won the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
