Indian legend Ravichandran Ashwin's first auction adventure outside of the Indian Premier League did not go as planned on Wednesday, October 1. The veteran off-spinner went unsold at the International League T20 (ILT20) 2026 auction.
Days after signing his Big Bash League contract with the Sydney Thunder, Ashwin went under the hammer for the International T20 League with a base price of $120,000 (₹1.06 crore).
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However, in a surprising turn of events, none of the six franchises looked interested in his services as he continues to look for opportunities in leagues around the world.
In this article, TSN explores the reason why the 39-year-old had no buyers.
Why did Ashwin go unsold in the ILT20 2026 auction?
Ashwin was one of the marquee players who went under the hammer and was the only one registered under the highest possible base price category of USD 120,000.
After the player went unsold in the first round of the auction, in a shocking revelation, it was understood that he pulled out of the auction. Ashwin made the decision when the auction was still in progress and his name could have been recalled for the accelerated round later on.
"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," Simon Doull revealed on the official broadcast.
"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.
Who are the notable players who went unsold in ILT20 auction?
The recently retired Siddarth Kaul was the only other Indian who did not find any buyers alongside the big names like Jason Roy and James Anderson.
South Africa's Test captain Temba Bavuma was also listed in the auction but nobody seemed interested in him either.
- Ravichandran Ashwin
- Siddarth Kaul
- Jason Roy
- Temba Bavuma
- Harry Tector
- Obed McCoy
- James Anderson
- Josh Little
- Mohammad Amir
- Mohammad Haris
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Saim Ayub
- Shamar Joseph
- Usman Tariq
- Fabian Allen
- Taskin Ahmed
- Imad Wasim
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Ravi Bopara
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