Ravichandran Ashwin, India’s star off-spinner, looks ready to make waves in Australia’s Big Bash League. The 39-year-old plans to join the Sydney Thunder for the upcoming T20 tournament, marking him as the first major Indian player to step into the BBL spotlight.
Ashwin, fresh off his retirement from international cricket and the Indian Premier League this year, entered the ILT20 auction on Tuesday with a hefty base price of $120,000—the top among all players. He’ll link up with the Thunder right after the ILT20 wraps up in early January. There, he’ll team up with big names like David Warner and rising talent Sam Konstas, as reported by Fox Sports.
Cricket Australia’s CEO, Todd Greenberg, reached out to Ashwin earlier this month to spark his interest. Ashwin had retired from Test cricket last year, so this move opens new doors. He skipped the BBL’s overseas player draft this year, meaning the league will have to approve a special exemption for him to play—much like what happened with Martin Guptill’s last-minute deal with the Melbourne Renegades in 2022.
Ashwin called it quits on international cricket back in December after a draw in the Brisbane Test during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He ends his career with an impressive 765 wickets across 287 matches. Fans still remember him smashing the winning runs in that thrilling chase against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground during the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
By stepping away from the IPL, Ashwin freed himself up for franchise T20 leagues worldwide. In the IPL, he ranks as the fifth-highest wicket-taker ever, with 187 scalps at an average of 30.22.
He’s not stopping there. Last week, Ashwin signed on for the Hong Kong Sixes tournament, where Dinesh Karthik will captain the Indian side. Cricket Hong Kong confirmed the news, adding more excitement to his post-retirement plans.
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