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Ashwin & Babar Azam Teammates? 3 Dream Teams For The Off-Spinner In Franchise Cricket
Follow UsAshwin is all set to become a T20 globetrotter
After 17 seasons, 2 titles and close to 200 wickets, Ravichandran Ashwin, yesterday, called it a day from the Indian Premier League (IPL). But his retirement has come with a twist as Ashwin has explicitly stated that he’s now looking to partake in franchise leagues across the globe.
That’s a huge boost for all the non-IPL leagues, but it’s also fascinating for the fans, as it opens up a ton of possibilities. We could now see Ashwin form dream pairings in other leagues, creating power duos we never imagined.
We look at three dream teams for the Tamil Nadu off-spinner outside the IPL.
Sydney Sixers - BBL
Could you imagine Ashwin, Babar Azam and Steve Smith all in the same team? Well, that’s now a realistic possibility.
Sydney Sixers have already roped in Babar for the forthcoming Big Bash League (BBL) edition, and if they can somehow convince Ashwin to sign for them too, it would be a hell of a coup. Cricketing-logic-wise, it would make sense too, given SCG assists spin and Ashwin would be a real asset on those surfaces.
MI Cape Town - SA20
Ashwin might be a CSK man through and through, but let’s be honest, it’d be incredible to see him playing for *this* MI Cape Town team in the SA20. MICT already have Kagiso Rabada, Rashid Khan and Trent Boult in their roster. Now imagine adding Ashwin to it.
Actually, just imagine Rashid Khan and Ashwin bowling in tandem. These two GOATs never got the chance to play on the same team, but we could potentially be a few months away from that happening.
London Spirit - The Hundred
Kane Williamson, David Warner and…..Ravichandran Ashwin? That’d be some star-power, no? There is no denying that the 2025 Hundred has not gone London Spirit’s way, with them reeling at seventh with 3 wins and 5 losses, but roping in someone like Ashwin might just be the catalyst they need to turn things around next season.
Not only would Ashwin walk into this XI, he’d instantly be their best bowler, if not best player. Here, there’s also scope for Ashwin to lead the side, given it’s been a struggle under Williamson.
Signing Ashwin and giving him the keys might be a gamble worth taking for the Spirit.