"Money, Fame Not...": R Ashwin Told 'Could've Continued' Amid Shock IPL Retirement

Veteran Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin dropped a bomb on the entire sporting spectrum when he announced his decision to quit the Indian Premier League (IPL) a few days ago. Ashwin's exit truly came out of the blue, as the spinner had himself revealed a conversation he had with the Chennai Super Kings about his future. While Ashwin could have easily gone on to play for any other franchise in the league, even fetching big money in the auction, the Tamil Nadu-born cricketer decided to explore overseas leagues instead.

Just like many pundits and fans of Ashwin, India's 1983 World Cup-winner Krishnamachari Srikkanth was baffled by Ashwin's call. Ruling out 'fame and money' as possible reasons behind Ashwin's IPL exit, Srikkanth said that the spinner could have easily played for a couple more years.

"I am not sure why Ashwin retired. If I were in his place, I would have continued playing IPL for at least another two years. Of course, for Ashwin, money, fame, or name is not an issue. He has all of those in abundance. But, he could have played in the IPL for another two years and then gone on to play in the other leagues," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

"Probably, other Indian cricketers will also follow this approach of playing in other leagues once their time in the IPL is up. However, the recognition and visibility a player gets in the IPL is much higher than from all other leagues. So, one can play other leagues for the sake of it, but what you get in the IPL, other leagues don't come close to it," he added.

Ashwin is a product of the IPL, having made his debut in 2009 for the Chennai Super Kings. It was in 2010 that he made his international debut for the Indian team. Srikkanth, hence, is surprised to see Ashwin walk away from a 3-year deal with CSK, just one year after his return to the franchise.

"Ashwin has been one of the best IPL cricketers India has produced. He gained fame through the IPL. Though he had done well in the domestic competitions and for India in Tests, he was first recognized through the IPL and CSK, especially when he kept dismissing Chris Gayle for fun," said Srikkanth.

"He was both an attacking and an economical bowler in the IPL. I am only surprised that he is walking away in the middle of a three-year cycle after the Mega auction last year. In a way, it's a good sign that players retiring from India can become coaches or players in foreign leagues," he added.

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