Indian legend Ravichandran Ashwin recently announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League, having won two titles with the Chennai Super Kings in 2010 and 2011.
He ended his IPL career with 187 wickets in 221 matches as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the competition from his stints with CSK, Rising Pune Supergiants, Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals.
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He notably returned to CSK and played under MS Dhoni for the final time before ending his career in Indian cricket.
Upon his retirement, he also spoke about how MS Dhoni is still committed to the sport after over two decades of career at the highest level and explained how it is commendable.
Here's what he had to say.
Ashwin explains his IPL retirement decision
Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, RR released Ashwin, who was then swooped in by CSK for a whopping 9.75 crores in Doha.
It was expected that he would finish his career in his hometown franchise after a three-year cycle before the next mega auction in 2027.
However, after only playing 9 matches for 7 wickets in 2025, which saw CSK finish at the bottom, Ashwin decided to retire early, while the speculations of his release were already brewing.
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"I was thinking if I can play IPL next year. Three months of IPL is a little too much for me. It’s draining," he said.
Ashwin praises MS Dhoni's commitment to CSK
CSK and former India captain MS Dhoni has been a regular feature in the IPL despite his age. He continues to keep wickets and has been a crucial finisher for the franchise.
Dhoni's longevity has surprised Ashwin, who felt the league's schedule and travel took a toll on him. It was one of the main reasons for calling his retirement.
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However, that has not been the case with Dhoni. Spanning a 278-match IPL career in which he scored 5439 runs at an average of 38.30 and a strike rate of 137.45, he is expected to return again for the 2026 season.
"This is one of the reasons why I’m awe-struck by seeing someone like MS Dhoni. As you grow older, the bandwidth to play IPL becomes lesser," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
He concluded by referring to a fresh start, which indicated his desire to feature in overseas leagues like the MLS, SA20, Big Bash League and the Hundred, among others.
Recently, it was also reported that his former India teammate Piyush Chawla was among the Indians who had registered for the upcoming SA20 auction after his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket.