Ashwin attracted no bids in the first round of the ILT20 auction held on Wednesday.
Legendary India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin going unsold was the biggest talking point from the ILT20 auction held on Wednesday (October 1).
The 39-year-old surprisingly found no buyers after being placed in the highest base price bracket at $120,000 (INR 1.06 crore), while his former India teammates Dinesh Karthik and Piyush Chawla were signed by Sharjah Warriorz and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, respectively.
While Ashwin’s failure to attract a bid was speculated to be a factor of the high base price and the conflicting dates of the tournament with the Big Bash League in Australia, where he is due to turn up for Sydney Thunder later in the year, it was also revealed that the veteran campaigner may have pulled himself out from the race at the last minute.
Questioning his rumoured decision to withdraw, former New Zealand cricketer-turned-commentator Simon Doull suggested that Ashwin failed to read the room.
“We're hearing that he may have pulled out of the auction, which is a massive surprise. I mean, you've got to read the room,” Doull said during the live broadcast on YouTube.
Doull insisted that several teams would have gone for Ashwin had he been available. “You've got to understand what's going on out there and all that money left, when there are 3-4 teams with over $400,000 left in their pot. I don't think they came here not wanting to spend money—it’s there to be spent. If he pulled himself out, then he just hasn't read the room. I think sides would have gone in for him,” he added.
Ashwin is yet to share his side of the story regarding what happened in the ILT20 auction and whether he actually opted out at the eleventh hour.
Ravichandran Ashwin became eligible to play in overseas league after announcing his IPL retirement in August this year.
The off-spinner bid adieu to international cricket in December 2024, midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. He represented India in 106 Tests, 116 ODIs, and 65 T20Is, picking up 765 wickets across all formats.
Ashwin played a total of 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.
While Ashwin found no bidder in the ILT20 auction, he will play for Sydney Thunder in the 2025-26 edition of the Big Bash League. His signing was confirmed by the club last month, making him the first capped Indian male cricketer to play in the BBL.
“Thunder were crystal clear about how they’d use me and brave enough to back it. My conversations with the leadership were excellent, and we’re fully aligned on my role," Ashwin was quoted as saying by Sydney Thunder on September 25.
“I love how Dave Warner plays the game, and it’s always better when your leader shares your mindset. I can’t wait to perform for the Thunder Nation," he added.