Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Wednesday (August 27) announced that he will no longer participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
In his farewell note, Ashwin categorially mentioned that he is ready 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,” he wrote.
Days after making the announcement, Ashwin opened up on his IPL career, revealing how he overcame challenges with his strong mindset and self-belief.
The 38-year-old further stated that being ambitious and confident from an early stage helped him flourish in his career.
"Had anyone said I would achieve so much at the start of my career, I would have been surprised. Yet, when you first try to make it big, the world will constantly oppose it, saying 'He's an overthinker, over-ambitious and too big to fit in the glove.' I've heard many such things about myself. However, if I am not ambitious about my own life, who will be?" said Ashwin, as quoted by Sportskeeda.
"Even when I played for CSK, Muttiah Muralitharan was the off-spinner. When he was picked, many told me, 'There is no way two off-spinners will play.' Unfortunately, I have this problem where I wanted to prove people wrong by trying to respond, 'I'll make them play two off-spinners.' I see that as my confidence. I've even said I'll play ahead of Muralitharan. That's not me belittling Muralitharan; it's just me trying to get to his level," he added.
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. 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.
