Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin opened up on his “painful” second stint with Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League after the team suffered another heavy defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Calling it a “mentally disturbing” phase, Ashwin admitted he chose to retire from the IPL despite believing he could have played longer.
Ravichandran Ashwin retired from IPL in 2025 (AFP)
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After nine years, Ashwin returned to CSK, with the franchise securing him for ₹10 crore at the auction. However, the season did not unfold as expected. In nine matches, he picked up just seven wickets at an economy rate of 9.12. Eight months after retiring from international cricket, Ashwin brought the curtain down on his IPL career last August.
Speaking on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat, the veteran recalled the disappointment of the 2025 season, revealing that he stepped away not just for personal reasons but also to ease the franchise’s decision-making.
“I am watching the match from a neutral point of view, but I recently went through a disappointing season with CSK. It was tough for me personally as well. Honestly, I felt I could have played more, but emotionally, I just did not have the bandwidth,” Ashwin said.
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“I am watching the match from a neutral point of view, but I recently went through a disappointing season with CSK. It was tough for me personally as well. Honestly, I felt I could have played more, but emotionally, I just did not have the bandwidth,” Ashwin said.
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“I don’t want to go there, it’s mentally disturbing. It was very painful for me. I decided to retire myself so it would not create a headache for the management over whether to retain me or release me. They would also save ₹10 crore if I left. I am still disappointed. I had expectations, I had hope,” he added.
Ashwin also weighed in on the uncapped players CSK invested in at the auction, including Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer, both signed for ₹14.2 crore, urging the franchise to show patience.
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“These young players need proper backing. You have to give them good practice, intensity and the right environment. How else are they going to develop?” he said.
Reflecting on CSK’s third straight defeat of the season, Ashwin admitted he was hurt by the lack of fight from the team in the Southern Derby.
“I had expectations from this game. I knew RCB had the stronger side, but I expected improvement from CSK after the last match. The way RCB played, they sent a warning to everyone,” he said.
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.
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Home/Cricket/R Ashwin’s ‘mentally disturbing’ experience with CSK; spinner saved franchise INR 10 crore: ‘It was very painful for me’
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