Chennai (Tamil Nadu), April 6 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that he retired from the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to the mental strain of his final season with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He found it emotionally challenging to continue playing, leaving him no choice but to retire.
Ashwin, a key player for CSK from 2008 to 2015, returned in 2023 and won two IPL titles during his time with the team. However, his last season was disappointing. He explained on his YouTube channel ‘Ash ki Baat’ that he lacked the emotional strength to handle the pressures of playing for CSK again.
“I had a tough season last year. I could have played more, but emotionally, I just couldn’t manage it anymore,” Ashwin shared. The mental and emotional toll of the season was “painful and disturbing,” leading him to retire.
His decision also eased CSK’s financial burden, as they saved ₹10 crores that would have been spent on retaining him. Instead, they used this money to strengthen their squad in future auctions.
In 2023, Ashwin joined CSK for ₹9.75 crores, reuniting with teammates MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja. However, his performance was lackluster, taking only seven wickets at an average of 40.42. His side finished last in the league.
Ashwin criticized CSK’s decision to use tall pacer Jamie Overton for death overs, despite Overton’s lack of strength in bowling wide yorkers. During a match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Overton struggled, conceding runs and wickets.
In that same game, RCB scored 250/3, with contributions from Virat Kohli and Phil Salt. Their aggressive batting, led by Devdutt Padikkal, Patidar, and Tim David, helped them reach a high score. In response, CSK managed only 207 in 19.4 overs, despite Sarfaraz Khan’s half-century and a strong partnership between Prashant Veer and Jamie Overton.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the most effective bowler for CSK, taking three wickets. He became the second IPL bowler to reach 200 wickets, alongside Krunal Pandya and others.
Ashwin’s retirement marks the end of a stellar IPL career, during which he took 187 wickets across 221 matches. His time with CSK, once filled with success, ended on a disappointing note, leaving him with no choice but to step away from the league.