Fresh from his retirement in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Ravichandran Ashwin, who had earlier exited international cricket, will likely return to action later this year. If all goes according to plan, the veteran Indian spinner could feature in the upcoming International League T20 (ILT20) in the UAE, which will be played between December 2 and January 4 next year.
According to a report in Cricbuzz, ILT20 organisers are currently in talks with Ashwin and that he might enter the auction once he is done with the enrolment formalities. The league registration process is currently underway. September 10 is the last date for submitting names for the auction. The league previously followed a draft system for picking players, but starting this season, it introduced the auction system.
ALSO READ: 6,4,6,6...!77% runs in boundaries: Rinku Singh’s fireworks leave Gautam Gambhir sweating over Asia Cup XI call
Ashwin also confirmed to the website that he is now in discussion with the league organisers and will likely enter the auction. "Yes, I am in talks with the organisers. Hopefully, I will have a buyer if I register for the auction," Ashwin said. The auction is scheduled for September 30 in Dubai.
If Ashwin enters the auction and finds a buyer, he would be the biggest name from Indian cricket to feature in the league thus far, Previously, former India cricketers Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan were both picked, but could not bag a debut game. Ambati Rayudu remains the only Indian player to have appeared in an ILT20 game. He played eight matches for MI Emirates. The report added that Ashwin decided to reach out to ILT20 after getting "some assurances from teams."
{{/usCountry}}If Ashwin enters the auction and finds a buyer, he would be the biggest name from Indian cricket to feature in the league thus far, Previously, former India cricketers Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan were both picked, but could not bag a debut game. Ambati Rayudu remains the only Indian player to have appeared in an ILT20 game. He played eight matches for MI Emirates. The report added that Ashwin decided to reach out to ILT20 after getting "some assurances from teams."
{{/usCountry}}Ashwin ended his international career in December last year, midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. He ended his career with 537 wickets, the seventh-highest in Test history. Last Wednesday, he drew curtains on his IPL career. The 38-year-old has played for five different IPL franchises during his 221-game career - Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiants, Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals.
Earlier, Cricbuzz had reported that the veteran bowler is looking for a player-cum-coach role in the overseas T20 league and is likely to feature in Major League Cricket (MLC) in the US and The Hundred in England next year.