Ravichandran Ashwin failed to draw any interest from franchise owners and went unsold when his name surfaced in the auction.
Ravichandran Ashwin Goes Unsold in ILT20 Season 4 Auction
Legendary India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin went unsold in the ILT20 Season 4 auction. Having retired from the Indian Premier League in August, Ashwin had opted to explore opportunities in other overseas leagues and registered his name for the ILT20 bidding. He set his base price for the top category at USD 120,000 (approx. INR 1.06 crore). However, he attracted no bids from franchise owners and went unsold when his name first came up in the auction.
Ravichandran Ashwin boasts a stellar IPL career, retiring as a legend after 221 matches across five franchises, making him the seventh most-capped player in the league. A two-time champion with Chennai Super Kings in 2010 and 2011, he claimed 187 IPL wickets (fifth all-time) and 317 wickets in 333 T20 games overall. When Ashwin went under the hammer last time in IPL, he was sold to Chennai Super Kings for a whopping INR 9.75 crore.
R Ashwin joins BBL, to represent Sydney Thunder
Meanwhile, the Indian legend has already signed for the Big Bash League (BBL) season 15, where he will represent the Sydney Thunder. This move makes him the first cricketer from the Indian men’s national team to feature in a BBL club.
“Indian legend Ravichandran Ashwin has created history, joining Sydney Thunder for BBL|15. The Thunder Nation will welcome the biggest overseas signing since the League’s inception, with Ashwin set to become the first male player to have represented India to join a BBL club,” Sydney Thunder said in a release. Ashwin will join the squad in early January to strengthen their push for back-to-back BBL finals after losing to Hobart Hurricanes last season.
The veteran spinner expressed excitement over joining Sydney Thunder, praising the team’s leadership and clarity on his role. “Thunder was crystal clear about how they would use me and brave enough to back it. My conversations with the leadership were excellent, and we are fully aligned on my role. I love how David Warner (the Sydney Thunder captain) plays the game, and it is always better when your leader shares your mindset. I cannot wait to perform for the Thunder Nation,” said the spin wizard.
