The recent ILT20 Season 4 auction witnessed a surprising turn of events as veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin went unsold. Despite his decorated career and a base price of USD 120,000 (approximately INR 1.06 crore), the 38-year-old failed to attract any bids from the franchise owners.
Ashwin's decision to enter the ILT20 auction came after he retired from the Indian Premier League (IPL) in August, signaling his interest in exploring opportunities in overseas leagues. His retirement from international cricket also made him available for these leagues. However, the ILT20 franchises did not show interest in acquiring his services.
The snub has sparked discussions and surprise among cricket fans and analysts, considering Ashwin's stellar record in T20 cricket. In his IPL career, Ashwin played 221 matches across five franchises, making him the seventh most-capped player in the league. He is a two-time IPL champion with Chennai Super Kings (2010 and 2011) and has claimed 187 IPL wickets, ranking fifth all-time. Overall, he has 317 wickets in 333 T20 games. The last time Ashwin was at an IPL auction, Chennai Super Kings bought him for a significant INR 9.75 crore.
Before the ILT20 auction, Ashwin signed with the Sydney Thunder for the Big Bash League (BBL) season 15. This signing makes him the first cricketer who has played for the India men's cricket team to represent a BBL club. He will join the Thunder's lineup in early January. Ashwin expressed his excitement about joining the Sydney Thunder, stating, "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".
In his international career, Ashwin has played 287 matches for India, taking 765 international wickets, including 537 in Test cricket. He was also a part of the Indian teams that won the Cricket World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013. Individually, he was named the ICC's Cricketer of the Year and Test Cricketer of the Year in 2016 and was included in the 2011-20 Men's Test Team of the Decade.
Each franchise participating in the ILT20 auction had a purse of USD 800,000, with additional funds available from previous direct signings and retentions. The Dubai Capitals and Gulf Giants had the largest purses, with USD 1,035,000 each. The ILT20 mandates that each team must have at least two UAE players and one Associate Nation player in their playing XI. This slot may be filled by a third UAE player or a player from any other Associate nation.
