Follow UsRavichandran Ashwin is one of a kind.
He’s that artist who uses a lot of science in his art, and that art is often truly visionary.
The 38-year-old was one of the earliest spinners in the country to bowl with the new ball, despite the trend being pacers dominating that phase.
He was one of the earliest spinners in world cricket to ace the match-up battle, developing a carrom ball to combat right-handers, and one of the first tweakers to bowl at the death.
Ashwin was the first to inflict a run-out at the non-striker’s end at the Indian Premier League (IPL) level, and continues to break the stigma on that end.
The now CSK spinner was also the first-ever batter in IPL history to retire himself out, an event that happened in 2022 against Lucknow Super Giants in Mumbai, to allow for late-order fireworks.
He also became one of the earliest athletes (not retired) to be an active content creator on YouTube, giving his opinions on numerous topics, including coaching an Australian team mid-way through a Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in his YouTube videos.
When you think there’s no uncharted territory for him to conquer, he is on course to become India’s first-ever T20 globetrotter, stepping away from the IPL glitz and swapping it for global T20 fortunes.
"They say every ending will have a new start, my time as an IPL cricketer comes to a close today, but my time as an explorer of the game around various leagues begins today. Look forward to enjoying and making the most of what's ahead of me,” Ashwin announced his Indian retirement on X.
How does this make him a path-breaker? Haven’t several Indian cricketers done it in the past? You look at all the Indian cricketers who have previously taken part in various overseas franchise leagues, and you’d notice a pattern.
Dinesh Karthik was 39 and had already transitioned into a more coaching role by then when he played for Paarl Royals. Robin Uthappa did it when he was 36, but it was at the International League T20 (ILT20), where the competition levels aren’t as demanding as the other big leagues.
Ambati Rayudu did it when he was 37, but hardly impacted positively for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots during the 2023 Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Barring that, none of the bigger names have taken the leap of faith.
But these Indian stars don’t hold the same pedigree as Ashwin, who bagged a huge paycheck of INR 9.75 crore in the 2025 IPL mega auction despite being 38. He’s still not at the twilight of his T20 prowess and continues to be a dominant factor.
Not just that, the uncanny off-spinner still rings in the crowd wherever he goes, be it for India during the 2023 ODI World Cup contest against Australia, be it for CSK in their home clashes despite them having a horrid run or be it year after year at the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) where he donned the Dragons yellow.
More crucially, seeing Brand Ashwin in a Sydney Sixers colour or watching Ashwin swap the CSK yellow for an MI Cape Town blue is a salivating thought for these leagues.
For that thought to be within touching distance of becoming a reality is what makes this pitch successful. But more than just the pitch, what Ashwin is doing right now is revolutionary – in the sense that he now serves as a guide to all the cricketers in their late 30s to transition into global overseas leagues.
Once their IPL contract is gone, their careers in India are over. Ashwin's move highlights an alternative career path; it offers financial security and continued competitive relevance for the players to pursue the game on their own terms.
More than all of this, though, Ashwin has always been known for a bigger thing: he’s never shied away from a fight. Constantly, he has critiqued the move that only retired Indian cricketers can play in overseas leagues.
A move like this can witness many followers, and if that happens, it might send a strong alarm to the BCCI to relax their stringent and archaic rules around Indian players not playing overseas leagues.
Imagine a scenario where a player like Manish Pandey or Rohit Sharma could transition seamlessly into leagues like the Big Bash or the SA20 instead of fading away after their prime.
Ashwin’s move just makes those dreams a reality for future generations.
No longer does a player have to worry about not getting IPL contracts at the age of 34, but rather will look at the greener pastures on the other side, playing in these overseas leagues. The retirement taboo wouldn’t haunt them, as there’s a whole new world and life waiting outside
Ashwin has always been a rebel, a scientist on the field; now he’s truly on the path to becoming India’s first-ever T20 globetrotter, travelling a road that has never been taken at such a high profile before – in his unconventional fashion.