Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull has said that reports suggest that Ravichandran Ashwin pulled out of the ILT20 auction, which is a massive surprise. It was expected that the ace Indian spinner would be a hot pick at the auction, but he went unsold.
Doull shed light on Ashwin going unsold, explaining that the spinner pulled out of the auction at the last minute, which was why no bids came in for him. He criticised Ashwin for not reading the room as well.
The ace Indian spinner had the potential to be a marquee signing for the ILT20, boosting TV viewership in India. However, that did not materialise.
“We are hearing that he may have pulled out of the auction, which is a massive surprise. I mean, you have got to read the room. You have got to understand
what is going on out there and all that money left, when there are 3-4 teams with over $400,000 left in their pot,” Doull said while speaking on the live auction broadcast on YouTube.
“I don’t think they came here not wanting to spend money; it is there to be spent. If he pulled himself out, then he just has not read the room. I think sides would have gone in for him,” Doull added.
Notably, Ashwin has yet to clarify his side of the story regarding the ILT20 auction and whether he indeed withdrew.
In August, Ashwin announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League, expressing his desire to play for teams in global T20 leagues. The decision followed a tough IPL 2025 season with the Chennai Super Kings.
Ashwin, the only cricketer with a six-figure base price of USD 120,000, didn’t feature in the accelerated auction either but could still make the cut as a wildcard signing.
Ashwin had registered for the UAE-based league after announcing his retirement from the IPL, a move that made him eligible to play in overseas franchise competitions.
