Legendary Spinner Ashwin Snubbed in ILT20 Auction

As of October 1st, 2025, legendary Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has faced a surprising setback in his career. Ashwin, who recently retired from the Indian Premier League (IPL) in August, had opted to explore opportunities in other overseas leagues and registered his name for the ILT20 bidding. However, he went unsold in the ILT20 Season 4 auction, with no franchise owners placing bids for the veteran cricketer.

Despite his impressive IPL career, which saw him claim 187 wickets in 221 matches across five franchises, Ashwin's services were not sought after in the ILT20 auction. This comes as a significant surprise, given Ashwin's status as one of the most successful spinners in the history of the IPL.

On a more positive note, Ashwin has already secured a new opportunity overseas. The Indian legend has signed with the Sydney Thunder for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season 15, making him the first cricketer who has played for the Indian men's national team to represent a BBL club. The Thunder Nation has welcomed Ashwin as their "biggest overseas signing since the League's inception," and the veteran spinner has expressed his excitement to join the team and contribute to their push for back-to-back BBL finals.