After IPL retirement, Ashwin to enter ILT20 season four player auction

New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) After announcing his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL), former India off-spin bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin is set to enter the player auction for season four of UAE’s ILT20.

Season four of the ILT20 is scheduled to be held from December 2 to January 4, 2026. The last date of registering for player auction is September 10, while the main auction itself will be held on September 30 in Dubai.

“Yes, it's true that Ashwin has sent across his name for the upcoming ILT20 auction. Apparently, a few teams have offered to sign up Ashwin if he came in the auction and it will be fascinating to see who eventually picks him for the competition,” said sources tracking the developments to IANS.

Robin Uthappa (Dubai Capitals), Yusuf Pathan (Dubai Capitals) and Ambati Rayudu (MI Emirates) are the only other Indian cricketers to have played in the ILT20, where five teams have Indian owners – three of them also operate Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.

Last week, Ashwin ended his IPL career as the league’s fifth-highest wicket-taker with 187 scalps in 221 games, coming at an economy rate of 7.2. Ashwin began and ended his IPL career with Chennai Super Kings, based in his home city. He was an integral member of CSK’s IPL wins in 2010 and 2011.

In his retirement post, shared on social media, Ashwin expressed desire to play in foreign league around the globe.

In IPL 2025, where CSK had a bottom-place finish, Ashwin played nine games – picking only seven wickets at a high economy rate of 9.13 and was even left out of the starting eleven at one point due to his underwhelming returns.

Ashwin also played for now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals, and captained Kings XI Punjab (now known as Punjab Kings) in the IPL. He also amassed 833 runs with the bat in the IPL at a strike rate of 118, including hitting a fifty.

With his IPL retirement, Ashwin also has options to play in SA20, BBL, The Hundred and CPL. It won’t come as a surprise if Ashwin signs up for more franchise T20 league competitions in the near future.

--IANS

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