Ravichandran Ashwin has ticked off all boxes in his domestic career except for one. The Tamil Nadu spinner took the world by surprise by announcing his retirement midway through the IND vs AUS Test series. The spin wizard, however, confirmed that he will continue to play club cricket, which very much means that he would be a part of TN’s team in the domestic circuit. Not to forget, he has also been bagged by CSK in the IPL 2025 auction, making his homecoming a reality. But is Ashwin really after another IPL trophy?
International career done, Ashwin eyes Ranji Trophy next
Ravichandran Ashwin has done it all in the domestic circuit. From winning the Vijay Hazare Trophy to clinching a Tamil Nadu Premier League title for Dindigul Dragons, the spin wizard has done it all. What remains is a Ranji Trophy title for Tamil Nadu and that might just be the next on list for Ashwin to sign off as one of the most decorated cricketers in India.
Ashwin made his first-class debut in the Ranji Trophy in 2006 when he was just 20 years old. He captained Tamil Nadu in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2008-09 and led them to the title triumph. He was also a part of the winning team that lifted the Inter-state T20 tournament (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy) in 2006-07 as he was a part of the side led by Dinesh Karthik. In TNPL, he captained Dragons to a title victory in 2024. He was a part of CSK in 2010 and 2011 when the side clinched two back-to-back IPL titles.
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All that is left for Ashwin to achieve in the domestic circuit is secure that one elusive Ranji Trophy. With the TN spinner announcing his retirement from international cricket, he gets the perfect chance to fulfill his one last desire. The Tamil Nadu team is already strong, comprising of the likes of Sai Kishore, Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Vijay Shankar among other breakout stars. But they will surely receive a boost if Ashwin decides to reunite with the team and use whatever red-ball potential is left of him to inspire the side to a Ranji Trophy title.
With that being said, reports were doing rounds that Ashwin had decided to retire due to issues with his knee. But, the spinner has to manage to keep himself fit for action in two bursts in one calendar year. The first window would be the Ranji Trophy season just before IPL and later towards the end of the year and the second is the two-month period during IPL. Surely, he will be more relieved than he has been soi, having brought down the curtains on his international career which gives him a reprieve from excess workload. It remains to be seen if Ashwin will sign up for the Ranji Trophy in the hunt for an elusive title and finish off as one of the best international and domestic cricketers that India has ever produced.
