Cricket
Motorsport
Basketball test
League - Test
Combat Sports
Netball
Football
Ashwin confirms landmark BBL deal
Nicholas Quinlan • September 26th, 2025 6:03 pm
Legendary off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has officially confirmed that he will feature in this season’s Big Bash League, having signed for the Sydney Thunder.
Ashwin will play in the second half of BBL|15 as well as finals should the Thunder qualify, which they have done in five of the last six seasons,
He now becomes the second Indian player and first capped Indian player to feature in the competition after Unmukt Chand played for the Melbourne Renegades in the 2021/22 season.
Historically, Indian men’s players have been unable to play in international T20 leagues whilst they feature for the national side, making them only available during the IPL.
However, Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket during last year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
He also retired from the IPL in August as he plans on becoming “an explorer of the game”, which freed him up to be able to play overseas.
While the right-armer is 39 years old, he is still as impactful as ever, especially in the T20 game.
Across his 16 seasons in the IPL, Ashwin took 187 wickets, which sees him rank 5th all-time in the competition.
In a statement from the franchise, Ashwin announced his excitement to be a part of the side and looks forward to joining forces with David Warner, who will be leading the side for the second season in a row.
“(The) Thunder were crystal clear about how they’d use me and brave enough to back it,” he said.
“My conversations with the leadership were excellent, and we’re fully aligned on my role.
“I love how Dave Warner plays the game, and it’s always better when your leader shares your mindset.
“I can’t wait to perform for the Thunder Nation.”
The 15th edition of the BBL will begin on December 14 between the Perth Scorchers and the Sydney Sixers at Optus Stadium.
