“Someone like MS Dhoni” - RaviAshwin reveals three months of IPL was too much for him.

Ravichandran Ashwin shocked everyone by announcing his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) and all India cricket. Ashwin had called time on his India international career in December 2024, in the middle of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.

He retired with 537 Test wickets, 156 ODI wickets, and 72 T20I wickets. In 221 IPL games, Ashwin picked 186 wickets. The 38-year-old won the IPL twice in 2010 and 2011 while playing for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), where he started and ended his career.

During his tenure, he led Kings XI Punjab (now the Punjab Kings) and played for the Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, and Rising Pune Supergiants.

Retiring from IPL has also provided Ashwin with the opportunity of playing in overseas leagues like the Big Bash League (BBL), SA20, or other franchise tournaments.

“Three months of cricket isn't easy”—Ravi Ashwin on retiring from IPL

Ashwin said on his YouTube channel that he considered playing another season but ultimately decided against it because he wasn't prepared to play demanding cricket for three long months.

He also commended the longevity of MS Dhoni, the former captain of CSK, who turned 44 last month but may possibly play in the IPL the following season.

"I was thinking about if I can play IPL next year. Three months of IPL is a little too much for me. It's draining. This is one of the reasons why I'm awe-struck by seeing someone like MS Dhoni. As you grow older, the bandwidth to play IPL becomes less. Three months of travel, playing matches, and recovery after matches are not easy. As you age, the ability to recover will go down. After recovering, you have to play again. I thought about all these a lot. There’s this health factor," said Ashwin on the YouTube channel.

Ravi Ashwin also won two Champions League T20 titles with Chennai Super Kings to go with two IPL titles.

The off-spinner recently stated that he likes to participate in foreign tournaments and that he likes to go the less-traveled paths. He went on to say that he would continue to play cricket, calling it the "greatest joy of his life."

“I won’t say it’s a well-planned (decision). But my way of life has been travelling paths less travelled. But I don’t do anything for not going in a particular direction. I wouldn’t deny that I didn’t have in mind the thought of playing overseas. It was there. In my mind, I want to really enjoy cricket in the final stages of my cricket career. I don’t want any regrets in life. I will definitely keep playing cricket. For me, cricket is a source of great joy,” Ashwin added.

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