Ever since Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from IPL, the speculations of where Ashwin will play next have grown heavily. His announcement came at a time when The Hundred was going on, and it is one league that Ashwin might target in the next season. According to a report in Cricbuzz, Ashwin is set to feature in the next edition of both the Big Bash League and the ILT20.
Ashwin has now officially registered for the upcoming ILT20 auction, which will be held in Dubai on October 1, 2025. This is the first-ever player auction in the tournament’s history. The veteran Indian off-spinner has set a massive base price of $120,000 (around ₹99 lakh), the highest base price among all players in this inaugural ILT20 auction.
Cricket Australia has also initiated talks to bring Ashwin into the Big Bash League (BBL) for the next season. If things work out, Ashwin could become the first high-profile Indian male cricketer to feature in the competition.
BBL and ILT20 Have An Overlapping Schedule In The Upcoming Season
The ILT20 is a T20 league that is played in the UAE and has had an overlapping schedule with the BBL ever since the tournament started in 2023. This year, the ILT20 will start on December 2 and the final will be played on January 4. The BBL in Australia will start on December 14 and will be completed on January 25. If Ashwin features in both the BBL and ILT20 tournaments, he might not play all games because of the overlapping schedule.
Three of the six franchises in the ILT20 are owned by IPL franchise owners. These three teams are Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, owned by the Knight Riders Group, Dubai Capitals, owned by the GMR Group, and MI Emirates, owned by Reliance Industries. Ashwin has played for the GMR Group-owned team Delhi Capitals in the IPL.
Leave a Comment