Last week, Ravichandran Ashwin, one of the stars of Indian cricket and the IPL, retired from the IPL in a blaze of controversy. He hopes to direct his talents toward T20 cricket abroad. As you’ll learn, Ashwin is a brilliant tacitician and thinker of the game. As the IPL’s fifth-highest wicket-taker, with 187 wickets at 8.82 runs per over in 221 matches, he leaves behind a heavy legacy.
From the IPL’s inception in 2008, Ashwin’s IPL career began and was most notably defined by representing his home team, the Chennai Super Kings. This franchise was integral to his illustrious career. Over the years, he represented other teams, including Rising Pune Supergiant, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, and Kings XI Punjab. In his IPL stint, Ashwin’s economy rate was as sparkling as 7.2. This notable feat is a testament to his ability to dictate games while making meaningful impacts on his teams’ victories.
Away from the IPL, Ashwin has had a storied international career. In doing so, he’s taken 537 wickets in Test cricket, putting him second on India’s all-time list for Test wickets. He was called up during the 2011 Cricket World Cup, having made his Test debut in 2004, returning against West Indies. With match-winning stats of 9-128, he won Player of the Match! In his Test career, Ashwin has bagged eight ten-wicket match hauls and scored six centuries in 106 Tests.
Along with his Test supremacy, Ashwin has been phenomenal at the shorter formats as well – ODIs and T20Is. He has picked up 156 wickets in One Day Internationals and 72 wickets in T20 Internationals. His most recent T20 international appearance came in November 2022.
Considering something like retirement from the IPL, Ashwin sounded an optimistic note about the future. He stated, “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.”
While Ashwin will surely miss the IPL stage he’s ruled for nearly a decade, he has no intention of disappearing from the global franchise league circuit. He further stated his enthusiasm when he said, “I can’t wait to experience and maximize my future.” His quoted remarks, however, reflect his ambition to fully step into this new chapter.
