Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will make history when he joins Sydney Thunder in the next season of the Big Bash League (BBL), the first marquee Indian player to play in the competition. In a report, Fox Sports claimed that the 39-year-old, who has recently retired from international cricket and the Indian Premier League, had already signed with the franchise and a confirmation is expected later this week.
Ashwin has also signed up for the ILT20 auction, and after its closure on January 4, he is likely to reunite with the Thunder for the second half of the BBL, running from December 14 to January 18.
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg is known to have personally reached out to Ashwin last month to explore his possible participation.
The action comes after Ashwin’s retirement from the IPL, turning him into a free agent and paving the way for involvement in overseas leagues something not allowed by the BCCI for active India or IPL players.
Because the off-spinner did not feature in this year’s BBL overseas draft, Cricket Australia would have to issue an exemption, similar to the special dispensation given to Martin Guptill prior to him signing for Melbourne Renegades in 2022.
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Ashwin also hung up his boots from international cricket during India’s tour of Australia last December. In a career that shone brightly, he took 537 wickets in Tests, behind only Anil Kumble’s 619, and emerged as one of India’s greatest match-winners. In the IPL, he played 221 matches, where he took 187 wickets with the best figures of 4/34, besides scoring 833 runs, including a personal best of 50.
