Spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin, who has retired from all forms of Indian cricket, has now expressed interest in participating in the ILT20 auctions for the upcoming tournament, which will take place in the United Arab Emirates from December 2 to January 4, 2026.
Ashwin, who turns 39 on September 17, has declared his retirement from the IPL, allowing him to participate in franchise-based T20 competitions worldwide.
If a team chooses to pick India’s second-highest wicket-taker across formats (765 from 287 international matches), he will be the most well-known player to play in a global competition outside of the IPL.
“Yes, I am in talks with the organisers. Hopefully, I will have a buyer if I register for the auction,” Ashwin was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
Registration for the ILT20 auction will be finished by September 10 and it is planned to take place in Dubai on September 30. Since ILT20 previously used the Draft System to choose players for previous seasons, this is the first time the league will hold an auction.
Among the well-known Indians who have participated in ILT20, Ambati Rayudu immediately springs to mind. He formerly played for MI Emirates.
However, Ashwin was one of India’s greatest Test cricket match winners and Rayudu was never as big as the spinner.
