Why Is Ashwin Not Playing IPL 2026?

Ravichandran Ashwin is not playing IPL 2026 because he retired from the tournament in August 2025. The Ashwin IPL retirement brought an end to a 16-year career in the league that began with CSK in 2009. The 39-year-old off-spinner had earlier retired from international cricket in December 2024 during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Brisbane. With both retirements now behind him, Ashwin’s focus has shifted to overseas T20 leagues, coaching, and his growing media career.

Why Is Ashwin Not Playing IPL 2026?

Ashwin’s decision to retire from the IPL was driven by a desire to explore franchise cricket beyond India. Indian cricketers are permitted to participate in overseas T20 leagues only after retiring from both international cricket and the IPL. Having stepped away from internationals in December 2024, Ravichandran Ashwin’s IPL retirement in August 2025 cleared the path for him to sign with leagues like the BBL, SA20, and others.

In his own words: “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.”

There were also reports of tension between Ashwin and CSK management during IPL 2025. He managed just seven wickets in nine matches at an economy of 9.12, and CSK finished bottom of the points table for the first time in their history. With a price tag of ₹9.75 crore and limited returns, a parting was expected regardless. Ashwin’s retirement formalised what was already looking like a natural conclusion.

Ravichandran Ashwin Retirement — Full Timeline

• December 2024: Retired from international cricket midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after being dropped for the third Test in Brisbane. Finished with 537 Test wickets in 106 matches — second-highest for India behind Anil Kumble.
• May 2025: Played his last IPL match for CSK against Delhi Capitals at Arun Jaitley Stadium. Final IPL bowling figures: 2/41.
• August 27, 2025: Officially announced retirement from the IPL via X (formerly Twitter). The Ravichandran Ashwin retirement date from the IPL is August 27, 2025.
• Late 2025: Signed with Sydney Thunder for the Big Bash League 2025/26 season, but was ruled out due to a knee injury that required surgery.
• 2026: Has stated his intent to play two to three overseas leagues per year and is exploring coaching roles.

Ravichandran Ashwin IPL Stats and Career Record

Ashwin’s IPL career spanned 16 seasons across five franchises. Here is a statistical summary of what Ravichandran Ashwin achieved in the IPL:

Ravichandran Ashwin IPL Team History

Ashwin represented five franchises across his IPL career. But there’s no Ashwin IPL team 2026 as he’s retired. Hence he is not part of the CSK IPL 2026 squad. Here is the full breakdown of Ravichandran Ashwin’s IPL team history:

His best IPL season by wickets came in 2011, when he took 20 wickets for CSK, including the famous opening-over dismissal of Chris Gayle in the final. Ashwin was also the Player of the Tournament at the 2010 Champions League T20, and became the first player in IPL history to ‘mankad’ a batsman when he ran out Jos Buttler in 2019 — a moment that sparked global debate.

Ashwin and CSK — Where It Started and Ended

Ashwin’s IPL journey was bookended by Chennai Super Kings. Ashwin CSK connection runs deep — the franchise drafted him as an uncapped domestic player for just ₹12 lakh in 2008, and he made his debut in 2009. Under MS Dhoni’s captaincy, Ashwin became a linchpin of CSK’s bowling attack and played a central role in back-to-back IPL titles in 2010 and 2011. His return to CSK in the 2025 mega auction for ₹9.75 crore was a full-circle moment, but the final season was disappointing. CSK finished last in the points table, and Ashwin CSK numbers in IPL 2025 — 7 wickets in 9 matches at an economy of 9.12 — did not reflect the brilliance of his peak years.

With Ravichandran Ashwin retired from the IPL, CSK went into the 2026 mini-auction needing spin reinforcements. The franchise signed Kartik Sharma and Rahul Chahar among others to fill the gap left by Ashwin’s departure.

Ravichandran Ashwin Net Worth

Ravichandran Ashwin’s net worth is estimated at approximately ₹132 crore (around $16 million) as of 2025. His wealth comes from multiple streams:

• IPL career earnings: Approximately ₹97.5 crore across 16 seasons. His highest single-season salary was ₹9.75 crore at CSK in 2025.
• BCCI contract: Grade A central contract worth ₹5 crore per year, plus match fees of ₹15 lakh per Test, ₹6 lakh per ODI, and ₹3 lakh per T20I during his international career.
• Brand endorsements: Associated with Myntra, Bombay Shaving Company, Oppo, Moov, Dream11, Aristocrat, and others. Estimated endorsement fee of ₹4.5–5 crore per brand.
• YouTube and media: Runs two YouTube channels — ‘Ashwin’ (Tamil, 1.75M+ subscribers) and ‘Ash Ki Baat’ (Hindi). Also runs Carrom Balls, a media and brand promotions company.
• Assets: Owns a home in Chennai valued at approximately ₹9 crore. Car collection includes a Rolls Royce (~₹6 crore) and an Audi Q7.

What Is Ravichandran Ashwin Doing Now?

Since stepping away from both international cricket and the IPL, Ashwin has stayed deeply involved in the game:

• Overseas T20 leagues: Ashwin signed with Sydney Thunder for BBL 2025/26 but was ruled out by a knee injury requiring surgery. He has expressed intent to play two to three overseas leagues annually, with the SA20 and other tournaments on his radar.
• YouTube and commentary: His YouTube channel remains one of the most popular cricket analysis platforms in India. Ashwin regularly breaks down IPL and international matches with tactical depth that few former players match. He was recently seen reacting to Laxman Sivaramakrishnan’s commentary retirement with a characteristic quip: “Oh no! Why not this IPL?”
• TNPL and domestic cricket: Ashwin continues to captain Dindigul Dragons in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, keeping his competitive edge alive.
• Coaching and mentorship: He is a mentor at Gen-Next Cricket Academy in Chennai and has spoken publicly about exploring coaching roles in franchise cricket.
• Speaking circuit: Ashwin appeared at RevSportz’s Trailblazers 4.0 event in March 2026, where he commented on Gautam Gambhir’s role in senior players’ retirements and the future direction of Indian cricket.

For fans wondering why is Ashwin not playing IPL 2026, the short answer is that he chose to end his IPL career on his own terms and is now building a second innings as a global T20 freelancer, content creator, and cricket thinker. Ashwin’s Ravichandran Ashwin IPL team 2026 is none — and that’s exactly how he planned it.

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