5 Best Ravi Ashwin spells in IPL history

Legendary India off-spinner Ravi Ashwin called time on his Indian Premier League (IPL) career on August 27, 2025. He was one of the best spinners in the league, having made his IPL debut in 2009 for Chennai Super Kings. His performances in the IPL also led to his India debut in 2011, and he was part of the 2011 World Cup-winning Indian squad.

In the IPL, Ashwin was part of five franchises in his career—Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiants, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals. He played a total of 221 matches in the IPL and took 187 wickets. He won the IPL twice with CSK in 2010 and 2011 and also won the CLT20 tournament twice with CSK as well.

As he announced his retirement from the IPL, let’s have a look at Ravi Ashwin’s best spells in IPL history.

Here are the 5 Best Ravi Ashwin spells in IPL history:

1. 4/34 vs. Punjab Kings, 2016

Ravi Ashwin’s all-time best IPL figures came for Rising Pune Supergiants against Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) in a match played in Visakhapatnam. Punjab won the toss and chose to bat first. Murali Vijay, the captain, and Gurkeerat Singh Mann hammered half-centuries as they posted 172/7.

The star for RPS was Ravi Ashwin, who picked 4/34. His wickets included Hashim Amla for 30, Murali Vijay for 59, Gurkeerat Mann for 51, and the dangerous David Miller for 7 runs. His bowling efforts helped RPS defeat Punjab by four wickets as captain MS Dhoni made 64*, hitting three sixes off Axar Patel’s bowling in the last over.

2. 3/16 vs. Kolkata Knight Riders, 2010

This was a crucial match for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2010 against Kolkata Knight Riders, played at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. KKR, captained by Sourav Ganguly, won the toss and chose to bat first. They posted 139/8 with Angelo Mathews making 48 and Manoj Tiwary scoring 27.

Ravi Ashwin was the star with the ball for CSK, taking 3/16. His wickets included Chris Gayle (7), Brendon McCullum (0), and David Hussey (0). He put CSK in control on a spin-friendly pitch with big wickets early on, denting KKR’s rhythm. Despite losing Matthew Hayden for 0, unbeaten fifties by M. Vijay and Suresh Raina ensured CSK won by 9 wickets. Ashwin won Player of the Match for his bowling exploits.

3. 3/16 vs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, 2011 Final

This was the big match—the IPL 2011 final between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, played in Chennai. M. Vijay made 95, and Mike Hussey scored 63 as CSK posted 205/5 in 20 overs.

RCB needed a quick start, but Ravi Ashwin dented those plans as he dismissed Chris Gayle for a duck in the very first over. He also accounted for Mayank Agarwal for 10 runs and came back at the death to dismiss RCB captain Daniel Vettori for a duck as CSK won by 58 runs and lifted their second consecutive IPL title.

4. 3/23 vs. Chennai Super Kings, 2019

This effort came in a losing cause for his team Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings). CSK batted first after MS Dhoni won the toss and posted 160/3 in the match in Chennai. It was Ravi Ashwin who picked all three wickets while opening the innings with the ball. He dismissed Shane Watson for 26, Faf du Plessis for 54, and Suresh Raina for 17.

In reply, Punjab’s batting failed as they made 138/5, struggling against CSK spinners. KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan made fifties, but Punjab lost by 22 runs.

5. 3/29 vs. Mumbai Indians, 2020

This match was the Qualifier 1 of IPL 2020 and was played in Dubai. Mumbai Indians clashed with Delhi Capitals in this crucial tie. MI batted first after DC won the toss and chose to bowl. However, MI posted a huge 200/5 thanks to half-centuries by Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, while Quinton de Kock made 40.

Ravi Ashwin shone with the ball, with figures of 3/29. He dismissed de Kock, Rohit Sharma (0), and the dangerous Kieron Pollard for a duck as well. However, despite a fifty by Marcus Stoinis and 42 by Axar Patel, DC managed only 143/8 and lost by 57 runs.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at BetBarter and download the BetBarter app to start betting today!