Seeing Someone Like Dhoni... : Ravichandran Ashwin Breaks Silence On IPL Retirement

Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin broke silence on his sudden retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ashwin has already retired from international cricket in December 2024, in the BGT series against Australia, and now he opted to put curtains down on his IPL career as well this year, finishing his career in the franchise from where it all started.

After some days of retirement, he stated what the reason was behind his retirement and what's next for him in the near future.

In a recent video shared on his YouTube channel, Ashwin stated that he no longer had the energy to play a 3-month-long tournament like IPL. The former cricketer highlighted the point that IPL is a very long tournament for a cricketer, which he no longer plays due to his rising age. The retirement decision might be linked to CSK probably releasing or trading him in the mini auction ahead of IPL 2026.

"Three months of cricket isn't easy" : R Ashwin

He said,

"I was thinking about if I can play IPL next year. Three months of IPL is a little too much for me. It's draining. This is one of the reasons why I'm awe-struck by seeing someone like MS Dhoni. As you grow older, the bandwidth to play IPL becomes less. Three months of cricket isn't easy—you have to travel, play matches, and let your body recover after the matches."

In the recent video, Ashwin also talked about the reports of him participating in The Hundred and SA20 after his retirement from IPL. Without any revelation, he gave the hint that he has registered for a league but refused to tell further details. He also stated that he is open to a coaching role in the future but on his own terms and conditions.