India’s veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been ruled out of the upcoming Big Bash League season in Australia after suffering a knee injury, his team Sydney Thunder confirmed in an official statement.
Ashwin, who recently announced his retirement from the IPL, had signed a full-season contract with Sydney Thunder, aiming to take on a new challenge in Australian conditions after missing out on a deal in the ILT20 League.
Initially, the 38-year-old planned to play only three or four matches but later decided to participate in the entire BBL season. However, his plans have been derailed by injury, forcing him to undergo rest and recovery ahead of future competitions.
In the previous IPL season, Ashwin was bought for INR 10.75 crore but failed to live up to expectations, managing only seven wickets in nine matches and facing criticism for his high economy rate.
Upon leaving the IPL, Ashwin had expressed his desire to feature in various T20 leagues around the world. Under Indian cricket regulations, players can only participate in overseas leagues after retiring from both international cricket and the IPL, a rule that had opened the door for Ashwin’s BBL stint.
For now, that opportunity has been put on hold due to injury. Sydney Thunder have yet to announce a replacement for the Indian off-spinner.
