Ashwin in ILT20? Veteran spinner in talks with organisers to register for player auction

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who recently announced his retirement from IPL, expressed interest in featuring in the fourth season of the UAE's International League T20 (ILT20).

The 38-year-old, who retired from international cricket in December last year, is in talks with ILT20 organisers and is expected to register himself for the auction scheduled on September 30 in Dubai.

The UAE league will run from December 2 to January 4 next year, with September 10 as the last date for auction enrolment.


“Yes, I am in talks with the organisers. Hopefully, I will have a buyer if I register for the auction,” Ashwin told Cricbuzz.

If picked, Ashwin will become the fourth Indian to feature in the league after Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan and Ambati Rayudu.

Ashwin has vast T20 experience, having featured in 221 IPL matches across five franchises. He played for Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiant, Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

Across all IPL seasons, he claimed 187 wickets at an economy rate of 7.2, making him the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the league. He also captained Punjab Kings during his stint.

The off spinner has previously expressed interest in playing in foreign leagues in a player-coach role.

Ashwin’s decision to join the ILT20 comes after a challenging IPL 2025 season where CSK finished at the bottom of the table.

In nine matches, he picked only seven wickets at an economy rate of 9.13 and was at times left out of the playing XI.