Former India all-rounder and one of the veterans of the game, Ravichandran Ashwin has been in news after he signed a contract with Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) franchise - Sydney Thunder. However, the spin legend was also set to feature in UAE’s International League T20 (ILT20) after registering in the player auction, but went unsold.
It is to be noted that Ashwin entered the ILT20 auction with a base price of $120,000 - the highest among the registered players, but was left disappointed after not getting a buyer and eventually pulled out his name ahead of the accelerated round of the auction.
R Ashwin commits to play full BBL 2025-26 season with Sydney Thunder
Just hours after going unsold at the ILT20 auction, the former India international opened up on his participation in the BBL. Having signed with the Thunder
on September 26, Ashwin on On Thursday, October 2 confirmed to play the entire BBL season. While the 39-year-old had earlier signed up for a shorter stint, covering only a few league matches and the playoffs, but he recently extended his contract to remain available for the entire tournament.
“I have signed up with Sydney Thunder for the entire season,” Ashwin confirmed, as quoted by Cricbuzz. With Ashwin’s addition in the Thunder lineup, the franchise would aim to overturn their last season results which saw them finish third. He will be playing alongside David Warner, Sam Konstas, Sam Billings, Chris Green, among others at the Thunder in the upcoming edition, which will be played from December 14 till January 25, 2026.
