Not The Hundred Or ILT20, Ravichandran Ashwin's Next Big Destination Is BBL: Report

Ravichandran Ashwin, since announcing his IPL retirement, has been the subject of intense focus regarding his next move. "My time as an explorer of the game around various leagues begins today,” Ashwin posted on X, further fuelling speculation. Earlier reports suggested that Ashwin is keen on joining The Hundred in England or the International League T20 (ILT20) in the UAE. Now, a new report in Cricbuzz has claimed that the spin great may become the "first high-profile Indian cricketer" to play in Australia's Big Bash League (BBL), starting from the upcoming season.

"Cricket Australia (CA) CEO Todd Greenberg is currently in discussions with Ashwin about the possibility of the star Indian spinner showing off his wares in the BBL. Discussions were kicked off after Greenberg reached out to the star Indian spinner as soon as he'd announced his IPL retirement last week," the report said.

Greenberg has confirmed that he did call Ashwin and that a potential deal is in the works.

"To get someone with Ashwin's credentials to come over here for the BBL will be great at so many levels. He's a champion cricketer who will bring a lot to the Big Bash and to our cricket summer," Greenberg said.

Ashwin has also expressed his interest in pursuing a coaching role, according to Greenberg.

However, it is not yet clear how Ashwin would be accommodated by one of the eight BBL clubs, as the teams have already used much of their salary purse during the draft.

Ashwin, who has been heavily linked with various overseas franchise leagues following his IPL retirement, was a notable absentee from the player auction list of SA20 2026. Recently, Ashwin revealed his plans, saying that he could play in two to three leagues a year and is also open to taking up a coaching role for a franchise.

There had been speculation that Ashwin might enter the SA20 2026 auction, considering that players retired from Indian cricket are eligible to participate in overseas leagues. However, to everyone's surprise, the 38-year-old's name was nowhere to be found on the SA20 player auction list.

Initially, there were questions about whether the BCCI's earlier one-year "cooling-off" requirement was still in place. This policy, proposed in 2023, had forced Ambati Rayudu to withdraw from Major League Cricket (MLC) after retiring from the IPL. However, various reports suggest that the policy was withdrawn after players expressed dissatisfaction.

According to Wisden, Ashwin's absence isn't linked to any restriction but instead stems from his interest in participating in the ILT20 auction pool, as the tournament will be held around the same time as the SA20. While South Africa's T20 tournament begins in December and runs for a month, ILT20 will kick off on January 11 next year. With half of the tournaments overlapping, Ashwin opted to compete in the ILT20.

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