Ravichandran Ashwin, a former Indian cricketer, has declared that he will play the full Big Bash League (BBL) 2025 season for the Sydney Thunder. Ashwin had originally signed on for a shorter tenure, covering only a few league games and the playoffs, but he has now extended his contract to stay available throughout the tournament.
The BBL 2025 is set to run from December 14, 2025 to January 25, 2026. The right-arm spinner’s prolonged participation came after his planned appearance in the ILT20 fell through. Ashwin went unsold in the ILT20 auction on October 1 and then withdrew his name from the subsequent rounds, refusing to compete at a lower pay.
Ashwin entered the ILT20 auction with the highest base price among registered players, $120,000, but was passed over. While there was still a chance of being acquired in subsequent rounds, he elected not to continue, instead focussing on the BBL.
On October 2, Ashwin confirmed his full-season commitment to Sydney Thunder.
Since he had previously given a verbal commitment to the ILT20, the Thunder and BBL granted him an exemption, though it required an adjustment in payment terms.
Coached by Trevor Baylis, Sydney Thunder finished third in last season’s BBL standings. Ashwin’s inclusion for the full season is expected to strengthen their spin department and provide the team with valuable experience as they aim for a higher finish in the upcoming edition.
“That’s the price I wanted as a bare minimum, and I’m happy not to play at this stage of my career if my value isn’t met. I was about to pull out a few days before the auction because of the Thunder deal, but since I had already committed to the ILT20 that I would enter the auction, I honoured my word. However, I did not agree to lowering my base price,” Ashwin said to Cricbuzz.
“I have signed up with Sydney Thunder for the entire season,” he added.
India
