Ravichandran Ashwin's abrupt retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) has shocked former cricketer Kris Srikkanth, who maintains that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend has at least two more seasons left in him.

Following a dismal 2025 season in which he took just seven wickets in nine games at an average of 40.42 and an economy of 9.12, Ashwin, 38, confirmed his IPL retirement on Wednesday.

With 187 wickets in 221 games at an outstanding economy rate of 7.20, the star off-spinner ends up as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in IPL history despite the decline in form.

“I am not sure why Ashwin retired. If I were in his place, I would have continued playing IPL for at least another two years. Of course, for Ashwin, money, fame, or name is not an issue. But he could have played in the IPL for another two years and then gone on to play in the other leagues,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin has also stated that the time had come for him to explore other T20 leagues, and this move has been welcomed by Srikkanth, who said that more Indian players might adopt this route. He did, however, emphasize that the IPL continues to be unparalleled in terms of status and visibility.

“One can play other leagues for the sake of it, but what you get in the IPL, other leagues don’t come close to it. Ashwin has been one of the best IPL cricketers India has produced. His name to fame itself was through the IPL and CSK, especially when he kept dismissing Chris Gayle for fun,” Srikkanth said.

Although Ashwin's decision to retire halfway through the three-year post-mega auction cycle was unusual, Srikkanth believed it would pave the path for him to play or coach in other leagues.

"He was both an attacking and an economical bowler in the IPL. I am only surprised that he is walking away in the middle of a three-year cycle after the Mega auction last year. In a way, it’s a good sign that players retiring from India can become coaches or players in foreign leagues," he concluded.