Chennai Super Kings (CSK) off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that the demanding three-month schedule of the IPL had begun to weigh heavily on him, which ultimately led to his decision to step away from the tournament. The veteran cricketer stunned fans by announcing his retirement from the league on Wednesday, August 27.
Ashwin had a poor 2025 season, taking only seven wickets in nine games at an economy of over nine, as CSK finished last for the first time. Explaining the reasons behind his unexpected decision, Ashwin shared on his YouTube channel (4:41):
“I thought about playing the IPL next year. But three months of IPL started feeling a bit too long. It’s why I am amazed by someone like MS Dhoni. Though he plays only those three months of IPL, as you age, the bandwidth for those three months keeps reducing.”
”It’s not easy with travel, playing the match and the recovery process. As you age, recovery reduces. And this travel-match-recovery cycle becomes an emotional rollercoaster.”
He further added: “Someone like me, If I don’t sleep by 11 PM, I can’t sleep well. And when you play the IPL, you’ll sleep only by 2 or 3 AM. So doing that in a three-month span made me think deeply, especially about my health. Then, I thought, ‘Should I immediately go for a coaching role?’ I am ready for coaching but on my own terms. So I thought I should play more as I still have something left. So, I want to play and explore.”
“I won’t deny thinking about playing in global leagues” – R Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin admitted that the idea of participating in overseas leagues did occur to him as he approached his IPL retirement. The Tamil Nadu off-spinner featured in 16 of the 18 IPL seasons, missing only the 2008 and 2016 editions.
“My mind has always been about travelling in paths that are less traveled. But, I don’t do it just to not go in some direction. Yet, I won’t deny that there weren’t thoughts of playing around the world elsewhere. I had a county stint for the first time around 2016 for Worcestershire, followed by Nottingham, Surrey before the Yorkshire stint, which COVID prevented from beginning,” said Ashwin (via the aforementioned source).
He further continued:
“Barring my cricket for India and other Indian tournaments, I enjoyed playing Under-10 and 12 in my childhood. I rekindled that joy while playing county cricket in England. I realized that playing for India or CSK was beyond expectations and it sucked you into it. But I want to truly enjoy cricket in the final stages of my career. Cricket has given me everything in life, making me who I am today.”
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