Ashwin announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League on Wednesday.
Hours after Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Wednesday (August 27), reports have started to emerge in the English media that he could be the first India cricketer to participate in The Hundred.
According to a report published in The Daily Telegraph, the former India spinner would play in the next season’s Hundred tournament.
“Ashwin plans to play in several leagues around the world over the coming years, and has identified the Hundred as a competition in which he would be eager to appear,” the report stated.
In his farewell note shared on X, Ashwin categorially mentioned that he is open to explore new leagues.
“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 wrote.
Notably, the BCCI bars its men's players from joining franchise leagues other than the IPL. But after retiring from all forms of international cricket as well as the IPL, the off-spinner is free to play in tournaments anywhere he wants to.
Ashwin could be the most sought-after player in auction, not just because four of the eight Hundred franchises have been partially or fully bought by the Indian owners, but also because of what he brings to the table as a seasoned spin bowler.
Ashwin started off his IPL career at CSK in 2009 and played a key role in the team’s title wins in 2010 and 2011. He was associated with the Chennai-based franchise till 2015 before joining the now-defunct Rising Pune Super Giants, followed by stints with the Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals.
Ashwin returned to his home franchise in 2025 after a gap of eight years, but failed to make a mark on this occasion. Overall, he played 221 IPL matches and claimed 187 wickets at an economy rate of 7.20, finishing as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the league’s history.
More than the numbers, he would be remembered for his courage to try out new things. He developed numerous variations over the years, including a carrom ball, a reverse carrom and a leg-break.