Off-spinning stalwart Ravichandran Ashwin has reportedly shown interest in being part of the auctions for the next edition of ILT20, which will be held in the UAE from December 2 to January 4, 2026. Should the paddle go up for him, he would become the most high-profile name from Indian cricket to feature in the UAE league, now into its fourth edition. Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan have previously been picked but are yet to debut, while Ambati Rayudu is the only other Indian to have featured in the competition when he turned up for MI Emirates in eight games.
Recently, Ashwin drew the curtains on his Indian Premier League career. The veteran announced his decision on X, and hinted at playing franchise cricket around the globe. “They say every ending will have a new start, my time as an IPL cricketer comes to a close today, but my time as an explorer of the game around various leagues begins today,” Ashwin posted.
Special day and hence a special beginning.
They say every ending will have a new start, my time as an IPL cricketer comes to a close today, but my time as an explorer of the game around various leagues begins today🤓.
Would like to thank all the franchisees for all the…
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) August 27, 2025
Ashwin returned to his native franchise Chennai Super Kings recently
The 38-year-old, whose maiden appearance in the league came all the way back in 2009 with CSK, went on to feature in 221 matches across multiple franchises, scalping 187 wickets. He walks away as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the IPL, having featured in 16 of the 18 seasons.
Ashwin was central to CSK’s title wins in 2010 and 2011, contributing 13 and 20 wickets respectively. In 2010, Ashwin was adjudged the player of the series in CSK’s Champions League T20 triumph. In next year’s IPL final, he opened the bowling and dismissed Chris Gayle for a duck in RCB’s chase of CSK’s 205/5. He won a second Champions League T20 trophy with CSK in 2014.
