Can Ashwin still feature in upcoming ILT20 despite going unsold?
What's the story
Indian spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin went unsold in the inaugural International League T20 (ILT20) auction for the 2025-26 season on October 1. The 39-year-old had entered the auction with a base price of $120,000 (approximately ₹99 lakh), but no franchise showed interest in him. Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull speculated that Ashwin might have withdrawn his name from contention, which could have contributed to him going unsold.
Auction insights
Doull expresses surprise at Ashwin's decision
Doull expressed his surprise at Ashwin's decision to pull out of the auction, saying, "You've got to read the room." He added that with several teams having over $400,000 left in their budget, there was plenty of money available for spending. Doull speculated that teams would have been interested in Ashwin if he had remained in contention.
Upcoming commitments
Ashwin can still join ILT20 teams
Despite going unsold at the auction, Ashwin could still feature in the ILT20 2025-26 as a wildcard. MI Emirates and Desert Vipers are yet to finalize their picks. Meanwhile, he has already signed with Sydney Thunder for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season in Australia. The ILT20 will be held from December 2 to January 4, while BBL runs from December 14 to January 25.
Career transition
Ashwin retired from Indian cricket earlier this year
Earlier this year, Ashwin had announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket, including IPL. He made himself available for overseas T20 leagues after the announcement. The spin-bowling all-rounder is India's second-highest wicket-taker in international cricket after Anil Kumble.
Career
His overall T20 stats
Overall in T20s, Ashwin has managed 317 wickets at 26.94. He has four four-fers from 333 matches. 2 of his T20 wickets came for India from 65 outings. He averaged 23.22. In a stellar IPL career, Ashwin took 187 wickets from 221 matches at 30.22 (BBM: 4/34). He has the fifth-most wickets in IPL history, behind Yuzvendra Chahal (221), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (198), Sunil Narine (192), and Piyush Chawla (192).