AB de Villiers believes Ravichandran Ashwin should have stayed at CSK, as he “never felt settled” with other teams.
Ravichandran Ashwin Bids Farewell to IPL, Eyes Global Opportunities
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin ended his Indian Premier League (IPL) career last year. The 38-year-old, who played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 2025 edition, revealed that he now plans to “explore” opportunities in leagues around the world. Over his IPL career, Ashwin represented multiple teams, including CSK, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, Rising Pune Supergiant, and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), though he achieved his greatest success with the five-time champions CSK.
Ravichandran Ashwin began his IPL journey with CSK and was part of the title-winning squads in 2010 and 2011. Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers opined that Ashwin never truly felt “settled” when playing for other teams and should have stayed with CSK.
In 221 IPL matches, Ashwin took 187 wickets at an economy of 7.20, with his best figures being 4/34. One of his most iconic moments came in the 2011 final, where he dismissed Chris Gayle in the opening over, helping CSK secure the win.
“Stellar career. What a wonderful player—a scientist of the game, a doctor, a professor. He always took it to the limits of the rulebook. Incredible skill, a huge player and icon in India,” de Villiers said during a 360 Live session on X. “He won so many games for Team India and CSK over the years. He played for other teams but never felt settled there. In my opinion, he should have always stayed at CSK… I will always remember him as a yellow jersey guy.”
Ashwin played for CSK from 2008 to 2015 before moving across nine other franchises. However, he made a homecoming when CSK picked him ahead of the 2025 mega auction in Saudi Arabia.
‘Under-rated with the bat’
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) signed Ravichandran Ashwin for INR 9.75 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 season. However, the 38-year-old spinner struggled to make an impact, taking just seven wickets in nine games. His lack of bite, especially in the powerplay, contributed to leaking runs.
Despite a challenging season, former South Africa captain AB de Villiers praised Ashwin’s overall career, particularly his underrated batting. “Very underrated with the bat in hand. It is not spoken enough about how he showed a lot of character with the bat. Generally, with Team India in trouble, he would come through,” de Villiers said.
