Ashwin's landmark deal sees him join Sydney Thunder for upcoming BBL season
Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is poised to make his debut in the Big Bash League (BBL), joining the Sydney Thunder for the upcoming season. This move will make Ashwin the first prominent Indian cricketer to participate in the Australian T20 competition.
According to a report, the 39-year-old has agreed to join the Thunder, with the official announcement from the franchise expected later this week.
Landmark deal for Ashwin
At 39, Ravichandran Ashwin is set to become the first male cricketer from India’s national team to participate in the Big Bash League (BBL). He joins a very select group of Indian players who have competed in franchise leagues outside the IPL.
Unlike their male counterparts, Indian women cricketers have regularly featured in overseas domestic leagues, including the Weber WBBL. However, the BCCI does not permit active Indian male players—whether international or domestic, to take part in foreign T20 leagues. Only those who have officially retired from Indian cricket are eligible to play in such competitions abroad.
When will Ashwin join the Thunder squad?
Ashwin, who recently stepped away from international cricket as well as the Indian Premier League (IPL), has also entered the auction for the UAE’s ILT20. He is likely to join the Thunder squad after that tournament concludes on January 4, covering the latter part of the BBL season, which runs from December 14 to January 18.
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg is reported to have personally contacted Ashwin earlier this month to discuss the possibility of him playing in the league. His retirement from the IPL has removed restrictions previously imposed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which does not allow active Indian players to compete in overseas leagues.
Cricket Australia's special treatment for Ashwin
Since Ashwin did not take part in the BBL’s overseas player draft, Cricket Australia will need to grant him a special exemption, similar to the one approved for New Zealand’s Martin Guptill when he joined the Melbourne Renegades in 2022. However, technically Ashwin would be the first one to get this exemption as Guptill had later decided to exit his NZ contract in order to play in the BBL.
Ashwin brought an end to his international career during India’s tour of Australia in December last year. Over a stellar career, he claimed 537 wickets in Test cricket, making him India’s second-highest wicket-taker in the format, behind Anil Kumble’s 619.
Ashwin ranks as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in IPL history, claiming 187 wickets over a 16-season career that saw him represent five different franchises: Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, and the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant.
He was a member of India’s victorious squad at the 2011 ODI World Cup and also lifted IPL trophies with CSK in 2010 and 2011.
Ashwin becomes the fourth overseas signing for Sydney Thunder ahead of the upcoming BBL season. The franchise had earlier secured New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson and Pakistan spinner Shadab Khan in June, while England’s Sam Billings remains on contract through BBL|16.
