The UAE based ILT20 auction witnessed a surprise when veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin went unsold. R Ashwin, who had retired from both international cricket and Indian Premier League (IPL), was expecting opportunities in overseas leagues. After confirming his participation in the Big Bash League (BBL), he was expecting to join the ILT20.
R Ashwin entered the auction at a base price of $120,000 - the highest of any player, but no one made a bid for him. In fact, he could not even get a bid in the accelerated round of bidding either. This left fans and other observers wondering why a player of his expertise and reputation could not attract any bidders. Later, it was reported that the off-spinner might have simply withdrawn from the auction at the last minute, adding an even more intriguing twist to the story.
Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull, said in the live broadcast, “We're hearing that he may have pulled out of the auction, which is a massive surprise. I mean, you've got to read the room. There was plenty of money left, with three or four teams still holding more than $400,000 in their purse. I don’t think franchises came here unwilling to spend. If he had stayed in, I believe sides would have gone for him.”
Another factor to this situation is the clash between BBL and ILT20. The period running from December 4 to January 4 will coincide with the ILT20, while the BBL is set to begin on December 14 and run until January 25. Given that Ashwin has already entered into an agreement with the Sydney Thunder, it would have been impossible to play for two tournaments in different parts of the world at the same time, especially in a relatively short period of time after a series of travel tour.
In light of this, Ashwin might have consciously chosen not to participate in ILT20 for fear of overcommitment and travel commitments. However, there is still some possibility that he can appear as a wildcard signing in ILT20 if and when the franchises do decide to make that happen. Nonetheless, this moment leaves fans questioning the choice of one of the game's most veteran spinners.
