Is Ashwin Making Excuses After Going Unsold in ILT20?

ByAnupam Pandey,SportsCafe Editor

Yesterday at 7:04 PM

Ravichandran Ashwin has gone unsold in the International League T20 auction. This comes as a big setback for the veteran spinner, after the conclusion of the first round of the auction. Now, he has chosen to withdraw from the ILT20, giving excuses to the fans.

Is Ashwin Making Excuses After Going Unsold in ILT20.

After his retirement from the Indian Premier League, Ashwin made it clear that he wants to focus on the other T20 leagues. For this, he participated in the BBL and ILT20. In the Big Bash League, Ashwin bagged a good price for the upcoming season.

He also participated in the ILT20 auction. In this, Ashwin was given the highest base price among all the other stars. But he went unsold in the first round, after which he withdrew from the auction. Fans claim that Ashwin has now started to give excuses for withdrawing from the auction.

1. Ashwin Clarifies Auction Withdrawal

Ravichandran Ashwin participated in the ILT20 auction. Fans had high hopes that they would see him perform in the other T20 leagues, but the hopes were dashed soon. He had a base price of 120,000 US dollars, at which he did not find any buyers in the first round of auction.

that the management wanted him to lower his base price. But he firmly denied doing the same. Ashwin made it clear that he would play the tournament only if he got a fair amount for the same. With the management and Ashwin not coming to a mutual agreement, he pulled out of the auction.

2. Ashwin’s ILT20 Auction Snub Explained

When Ravichandran Ashwin made the statement that he had withdrawn from the auction, fans knew something was doubtful. He said that the main reason behind it was his base price. After this, the demands of Ashwin were also not met by the teams in the auction. To this, various fans also said that Ashwin should know that ILT20 is not like IPL.

that being unsold in the ILT20 has hurt his ego and pride. This can also be seen with the fact that Ashwin has removed the videos of the tournament from his YouTube channel. Besides this, there are a few more reasons that might have led to Ashwin being unsold.

The first remains the schedule of the Big Bash League and the International League T20. Both T20 leagues will be clashing in the upcoming season. And if Ashwin is sold to any team in the tournament, it will create problems for them to make him available for the games.

on 14 December 2025 and will come to an end on 25 January 2026. On the other hand, the ILT20 will start on 2 December 2025 and will come to an end on 4 January 2026. With both tournaments having major clashes, this could have been the reason for Ashwin going unsold.

Along with that, it should be noted that Ashwin has not been a consistent wicket-taker in the T20 format. He was also not able to perform well for the Chennai Super Kings in the recent IPL season. Several fans argue that this is the main reason why he has gone unsold in the ILT20.

Ravichandran Ashwin in the T20 format:

Innings: 329
Overs: 1200
Wickets: 317
Average: 26.94
Economy: 7.11
Four-wicket Haul: 4

Moreover, Ashwin is currently aged 39 years. It is not clear to the fans for how many years he will play. Also, the teams in the ILT20 auction have been looking forward to the long-term picks. Not finding Ashwin as one could have been the reason for him being unsold.

3. Ashwin Signals Readiness for Big Bash

Shortly after Ravichandran Ashwin went unsold in the ILT20 auction, he made a major announcement. Sydney Thunder, his BBL team, contacted him to know about his availability for the full season. It was unclear to them whether Ashwin would be able to play all the games for them or not.

that he will be available for the entire season. This comes as good news for Sydney Thunder, as it would help them to boost their spin attack in the tournament. Along with that, Indian fans will also be waiting to see Ashwin play in the tournament.

This also makes Ashwin the first Indian to participate in the Big Bash League. Sydney Thunder have just won the tournament once, and have been eyeing another title win since then. Even in the last season, they reached the finals but fell short of winning the second title.

Sydney Thunder in the BBL:

BBL 2011-12: 8th
BBL 2012-13: 8th
BBL 2013-14: 8th
BBL 2014-15: 7th
BBL 2015-16: Champions
BBL 2016-17: 8th
BBL 2017-18: 6th
BBL 2018-19: 6th
BBL 2019-20: Challenger
BBL 2020-21: Knockout
BBL 2021-22: Knockout
BBL 2022-23: Eliminator
BBL 2023-24: 8th
BBL 2024-25: Runners-up

With the inclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin for the entire season, the team stands a chance to lift the title. Ashwin will now be teaming up with players such as Cameron Bancroft, David Warner, Sam Konstas, Lockie Ferguson, and many more. It will be a treat for the Indian fans to watch Ashwin in the BBL.