Ravichandran Ashwin, the veteran Indian off-spinner, is making waves in the cricket world again. Fresh off his retirement from international cricket and the IPL, Ashwin has signed up for the upcoming International League T20 (ILT20) season. He’s entering the league’s first-ever player auction with the highest base price: $120,000, which is about ₹99 lakh.
ESPNcricinfo reports that this top-tier price tag puts Ashwin in a league of his own for the auction, set for October 1 in Dubai. Fans have buzzed with speculation about his next move for weeks, ever since league officials and team reps started chatting with him back in August. His entry could steal the show at the event.
Remember Ashwin’s IPL 2025 stint? He returned home to play for the Chennai Super Kings after they snapped him up in the mega auction. But things didn’t go as planned for either him or the team, paving the way for his IPL farewell. Now, ILT20 offers Ashwin a exciting new chapter in franchise cricket.
The fourth season of ILT20 kicks off in its traditional December-to-January slot. That timing works perfectly for stars like Ashwin, giving them a break before international cricket ramps up again.
This auction brings a fun new rule: Each of the six ILT20 franchises gets one right-to-match (RTM) card. Teams can use it only on a UAE player from their development squad or the 2025 roster, adding some strategy to the bidding wars.
Ashwin’s plans might stretch beyond ILT20. Cricket Australia has reached out to him about joining the Big Bash League (BBL). If that deal happens, Ashwin would make history as the first big-name Indian male cricketer to play in the Australian T20 competition. Cricket fans around the world can’t wait to see what he does next.
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